Passing Notes in Math Class
by Midnight Angel Sakura
Summary: What's highschool without love? Through a series of events, both slowly reveal their love. "Let's have a sleepover and movie night at my place!" Ino said excitedly. That was just the beginning. Couples: SasuSaku Main , NaruHina, NejiTen, and KibaIno. Minor ShikaTema
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Hello! Okay so I got this idea in my Algebra 2 class while my teacher (and principal of the school) was teaching. I dunno how my mind came up with this but eh, I decided to use this idea for a fic. Sorry if it sucks. When I thought of this though I was like get your mind out of thinking that, oh well. I guess it was just the boredom taking over. =)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do own this idea though. =)**

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_Sakura's POV_

Today is the second day of school and I'm already bored. I sighed and slouched down into my chair while boredly listening to the teacher go on and on about combining like terms.

I doodled in my textbook, drawing a few swirls, before a note was dropped onto my desk. I looked in the direction I saw it come from and saw Ino smiling. 'Open it' she mouthed to me. I picked it up and opened it under my desk.

"_So Sakura, what are you now. This: (A)3, or this: (B)__3, __or this: (C)__3, __or this: __(D)3__?"_

'What the hell is she talking about?'

I looked carefully at the three's on the page, glancing back and forth between the big ones and the small one before turning my head slightly. My jaw hung open as I realized what she was asking.

I scribbled a sentence on the paper asking her what the hell before throwing it on her desk. She opened the paper and looked at me before giving me an innocent look.

She wrote on the paper and set it on my desk. I looked up at the teacher to see if he was looking before swiping the note off my desk. As the teacher's back was turned, I opened the note under the desk and read it.

"_What? I haven't seen you all summer and it looks like you've grown. Seriously your chest is now bigger than mine and I'm a C. So that means you're probably, most likely a D. Ah, you're growing up. I'm so proud of you.=)"_

I stuffed the note into my bag and slouched down. I folded my hands on my desk and rest my head on top of it before I was hit in the head by a paper. I opened it and noticed Ino's handwriting.

"_Hey, maybe Sasuke might stare more at you now." _

I let out an inaudible gasp and glared a hole at the paper in front of me, wishing that the sentence would jump off of the page and go and hide behind Ino or maybe shrivel up and die or better yet just magically burn away, yeah burning away sounds like a good enough punishment. I heard the teacher announce that the lesson was done and we were free to do what we wanted as long as we do it quietly.

"_**What makes you think he likes me?"**_ I wrote before throwing it on her desk.

"_Because he stares at you, annoys you, and teases you; do I have to write more?"_

"_**How come I don't see him looking in my direction then? And just because he does those things doesn't mean that he likes me."**_

"_Oh yes it does, and he looks away before you could catch him staring."_

"_**Oh really?"**_

"_Yes, really, and I think he'll be looking at you more now."_

"_**What makes you say that?"**_

"_Uh, like hello. You've grown and your shirt is kinda tight around your chest area."_

I crumbled the paper and shoved it in my bag just as the bell rang. I picked up my books and headed out the door. Ino soon caught up to me and we both walked to our lockers.

"I still can't believe you wrote that."

"What? It's obvious you got bigger. And he does like you. Naruto told me."

"And how come he didn't tell me?" I asked as I opened my locker.

"I dunno, Naruto's an idiot remember," she said fixing her hair.

I stuffed my bag and books in my locker before we headed in the direction of the gym which is our last class period.

"Hey guys," Tenten said as she ran up to us.

"Hello," Hinata said quietly, coming to stand next to Tenten.

"Hey," I greeted them.

"Guess what guys?" Ino asked Hinata and Tenten.

"What?" Tennie asked obviously interested.

"Sakura's grown up," she stated while smiling broadly.

"Well, of course she's grown up," Tennie stated obviously.

"Um, Tennie I don't think she means like that," Hinata said her voice just a little above a whisper.

"Ohhh," Tennie said as she realized what she meant. She turned to me and smiled really big before glomping me.

"Ah, you're growing up and oh my gosh this is exciting," she kept rambling on and on, not letting me go.

Someone cleared their throat and we all turned to see Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba, and Neji staring at us like we had a problem. Ino just stuck out her tongue at them before we moved away from the gym doors.

"What bastards," Tenten said under her breath as we followed them in.

In the changing room, it took me a while to get on my shirt. No, it's not because it's small; it's just that Ino and Tenten kept talking and talking and won't let me put on my shirt. Hinata, being the darling and sweetie that she is, told them that we were gonna be late if we didn't hurry up.

I threw her a grateful glance and she nodded while smiling. As we neared the bleachers, the so called 'popular girls' walked into the gym. They always come late cause they think it's cool. I'm mean seriously; they make me want to throw up my lunch.

The 'popular' girls consist of Karin, Ami, Shichi, and Mei. They are sluts, no lie. They took the school uniform and completely redesigned it to their liking. The principal (aka my cousin), Tsunade, got so annoyed that she didn't even bother with them.

It's gonna be their fault if they get hurt by some rapist or pervert anyway. Me and the girls watched as they shamelessly walked up to Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba, and Neji, the hottest boys you might ever set your eyes on. They were popular, hot, and some of the smartest boys you might find; plus, they are not playboys which is absolutely awesome.

I have a crush on the hottest one; well to me he is the hottest one. Sasuke Uchiha, just saying that name makes me feel giddy; he has blackish bluish hair that sticks up in the air and resembles a chicken's ass, but it's so cute and I would love to run my fingers through it. He could make any girl swoon, even teachers; but our lady teachers aren't looking at him. Though there is this one teacher, what's his name? Orochiharu, Orochimasu, now I remember Orochimaru. Yeah, he is freaky.

I think he is somehow attracted to Sasuke. I mean I know I am, but seriously he is a dude, a man, whatever he is, that is like going on thirty years old. It's just ewwwwwwwww on so many levels.

I watched as Karin tried, notice I said tried, to flirt with Sasuke. He clearly ignored her and looked around the gym. Before he could sweep his gaze on me, I looked away.

Unlike the other times, I actually felt his gaze on the back of my head. I tried to ignore it the best that I could and I turned my attention to my friends who were obviously talking about the sluts.

"They seriously need to get a life," Tenten said, showing her disgust.

"They sicken me," Hinata said before putting her index finger into her mouth indicating that she wanted to puke.

"I agree with you," I said as I wrinkled my nose in disgust before looking over at them.

I watched as the boys pushed past them and walked over to the other end of the bleachers we were on and sat down with Karin and her posse following them like helpless puppies. I heard Naruto yell at them and the only one that left crying was Shichi.

Karin, Ami, and Mei didn't care and barely watched as she left the gym. Before they could start pestering the boys again our gym teacher showed up, and from the corner of my eye, I saw each one of them let out a sigh probably one of disappointment.

"Okay, today the girls are going to be playing volleyball while the boys will be playing basketball," Anko said before making us hustle onto the court.

"We'll be playing outside and I have decided to let each team have four players. Group up and wait for me to tell you when to start," she said.

The girls and I walked to the volleyball net which was outside and waited for further instructions while the sluts walked away from the gym, probably going to find Shichi to get her to be on their team.

I felt that same pair of eyes on me again and I wondered how I never before felt them looking at my back or head. Now I am getting self-conscious and I really don't wanna make a fool of myself now that I know for sure that he is looking at me.

"Relax," Hinata said in her soft voice, "it's gonna be okay; just don't think about him looking at you, just act how you regularly do."

I nodded and took in a deep breath. She smiled at me and I smiled back, thanking her for the advice.

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**Me: So this is the first chapter. I hope you review and leave your thoughts about it. Is it good? I hope so and I hope you enjoyed reading it. =)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Chocolate chip cookies to all those who reviewed. Your reviews made me happy. (=**

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I managed to calm my nerves down right before Anko came outside with a volleyball in one hand and a basketball in the other. She threw the volleyball to us before making her way to the boys on the court directly across from us.

I looked around at the small number of girls in the class. Aside from us the only others are Karin, Ami, Mei, and Shichi. And speaking of them, hear they come with a pink-eyed Shichi.

These girls really need to know the difference between liking someone and going after them for their looks because it's pretty obvious that they only are going after Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, and Kiba for their looks and possibly their money plus they would also get really popular.

"Look the witches from slut land are back," Ino said glaring slightly at them.

"Just ignore them," Tennie said her eyes growing colder with each step they took towards us.

I was grateful that Anko came right at that moment before they made it to the net. I didn't want any trouble and knowing them they would be the ones to start it first.

"First team to twenty points win," Anko said before taking a seat in the chair that was placed next to the volleyball net.

"This is gonna be easy. We all know that you are going to lose," Karin said flipping her hair.

"Don't count your chickens until they hatch," I said bitterly with an icy cold glare.

"Oh why don't you be quiet forehead-girl. You'll be lucky if you don't fall over because of that huge forehead. I wonder who you got it from." Ami said.

I felt anger bubbling up in me, waiting for something else to happen to make it explode.

"Probably the same place she got her disgusting looks from, her mom. The horrible pink hair, the stupid green eyes, the big, off-balance forehead. She probably resembles her mom in everyway. Wow, and I thought one ugly girl was enough," Karin said.

**"****OH NO SHE DIDN'T!" Inner me yelled. **

"YOU BITCH!" I screamed as I lunged at her only to be held back by Ino, Tenten, and Hinata.

Its one thing to talk about me, but talking about my mother is crossing the damn line.

"Karin, principal's office now!" Anko yelled.

_Naruto's POV_

Anko had just left us and went back to the volleyball court where Sakura and her friends were. I watched as they conversed for a while before those stupid sluts appeared.

From then on I knew that the atmosphere changed. I could even feel it from here, the cold aura that my friends were giving off.

I watched as Anko gave them instructions before taking a seat in the chair close to the net. I guess Ami made a comment and that's why Sakura replied, but then I saw Karin flip her hair while talking to Sakura and from the looks of it Sakura seems pretty upset.

"YOU BITCH!" Sakura screamed before I saw her lunged at Karin only for her friends to stop her.

"Karin, principal's office now!" I heard Anko yell.

I knew that Sasuke saw what was going on too and I also know that now he is going to be pissed. As his best friend, he tells me everything and since I know everything I can say that he likes Sakura a lot. And now seeing her mad is gonna get him mad at the people/person that made her mad.

I guess I'll talk to Sakura and the others later and find out everything then.

_Anko's POV_

I knew this was gonna be trouble the moment I took a seat in the chair next to the net. I heard the whole thing and I watched as Sakura's anger slowly built up.

"YOU BITCH!" Sakura yelled. Oh, those cronies did it this time. Sakura's friends had to hold her back from tearing that piece of crap's face off.

"Karin, principal's office now!" I yelled.

I watched as she walked out of the gym acting all high and mighty before I turned my attention back to Sakura. Her friends still had a hold on her and her breathing was harsh, and that look in her eye even scared me somewhat.

And since she is related to Tsunade that means that she has the same temper.

_Sakura's POV_

"Carry her to the weight equipment room and let her hit the punching bag as much as she wants. I have to make sure that Karin went to the principal's office," I heard Anko say.

I felt Ino pulling me by my hands and Tennie pushing me gently from behind. I heard the hitting of a volleyball and then an ouch coming from the cronies was heard and I looked back.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Ami screamed holding her nose.

"Wasn't my fault that you were there when I spiked the ball," Hinata said before joining us.

Heck yeah Hinata! Awesomeness! Show that slut who's in charge. I'm still mad though.

"Ok, Anko said to hit this punching bag as much as you want," Tennie said as we stood in front of the punching bag hanging from the ceiling.

"Nobody's here, school's over, and we can stay as long as we want so knock this sucker until it's a bloody pulp," Ino said punching and kicking the air.

Tennie went behind the punching bag to hold it in place while I started punching it.

Stupid Karin punch stupid Ami punch stupid Mei punch stupid Shichi punch punch punch punch.

_Naruto's POV_

As the last bell rang we all piled into the school with me pulling Sasuke in the direction of the weight equipment room. Time to go visit some girls.

I stopped dragging Sasuke once we were right in front of the door to the room and from the inside I could hear someone punching the life out of the punching bag; and my guess is its Sakura.

She and her cousin have such a scary temper. I think even teme here got scared and you know him, he's the great Uchiha Sasuke who shouldn't be afraid of a girl. Who would have thought that he would be scared of the girl that he likes.

She kinda reminds me of a fairy or an elf, you know because of the green eyes and pink hair, but she is freaking scary. Hm…a scary elf, now that's really scary if you think about it.

While I was thinking of Sakura as a scary elf teme hit me on the back of my head and a scowl was placed on his face.

Oh right, heehee. I opened the door and saw Sakura beating the life out of the punching bag and there were small tears here and there on the bag. Looks like Gai-sensei will have to order a new punching bag.

_Sakura's POV_

I heard the door open, but I paid no attention to it at the moment for I was beating the life out of this punching bag.

"Hi guys," I heard Naruto say.

So he's the one who came to check up on us. Aw, so sweet; but wait that means Sasuke might be with him.

"Hey," they greeted him.

"Hel-punch-lo," I said.

"So what happened back there?" he asked taking a seat close by.

"Tch, the sluts happened that's what," I said as I was about to deliver another punch to the poor punching bag, but before my hand could come into contact with the bag another hand stopped it and I followed the hand to the owner only to see Sasuke there.

I blushed slightly and wringed my hand out of his grasp before turning away and walking towards Naruto where I took a seat next to him.

"Well, I know that, but seriously what really happened?" he asked.

"They said some stuff to Sakura and then said some stuff about her mom," Tennie said hitting the punching bag.

"Yeah, they said that Sakura had horrible pink hair, stupid green eyes, and a big, off-balance forehead; and how she resembles her mom in everyway. Plus, they also said her forehead would make her lose balance and they called both her and her mom ugly," Ino said.

I gritted my teeth together and Hinata came over to me handing me my iPod that she was carrying. I wasted no time in taking it and switching it on letting the music blast through the small earphones.

I turned my back so me and Naruto were facing back to back and I leaned back onto him. I knew Hinata wouldn't mind because she knows that me and Naruto have a strange brother-sister relationship.

I closed my eyes as the music blared through the earpieces. In about five to ten minutes I will feel better and then we can go home.

_Naruto's POV_

I listened as Ino explained what happened and from the corner of my eye I saw Sasuke's hand clench into a fist. His face remained in its usual expression but I could see the anger in his onyx eyes.

_Sakura's POV_

I shut off my iPod and got up getting ready to leave. I stretched and handed Hinata back my iPod to hold for me because I had no pockets in my clothes.

"Come on guys let's get out of here," I said leading the way to the door.

I waited outside the door for everyone and when they all came out we headed to our lockers to get our things. I entered the combination for my lock and tried to open my locker but it didn't want to open so I tried again and the same thing happened again.

I sighed and rested my head against my locker. Stupid lock, stupid whores, stupid oncoming headache.

"Need help?" a deep lovely voice asked.

"Uh, yeah…thanks," I said as I moved out of the way so that Sasuke could open my locker.

"What's the combination?" he asked his fingers moving up to the numbers.

"16 01 24," I said.

I watched as he opened it on the first try. So not fair.

"Thanks," I said as he moved out of the way.

"Aa," he said before leaning onto the locker next to mine.

Oh why did he have to lean right next to me? And now I could feel his eyes on me again. Deep breath.

I took my bagpack out of my locker and grabbed my Lit and Science book before shutting it close.

"Come on Sakura, let's blow this joint," Ino said linking her arms with mine.

I rolled my eyes at her and took my iPod from Hinata before the blond dragged me to the exit of the school.

"BYE!" Naruto yelled waving his hands.

"See ya!" I yelled before being pulled outside.

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**Me: So here's the second chapter. The majority of this story will be in Sakura's POV with little POV's from the other characters and maybe a Normal POV. Please review. Reviews make me happy and I would like to hear if you liked it. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: So this chapter shows when Karin goes to the principal's office and some other stuff. I would like to thank you guys for reviewing. (=**

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_Tsunade's POV_

I was working on some paperwork when the door to my office suddenly opened and Shizune and Karin came walking in with Anko following behind. Great, I can already feel the oncoming headache.

I pushed aside the papers that I was working on and watched as the slut as my cousin would say took a seat in the chair across from where I was seated.

"What happened?" I asked Anko not taking my eyes off of the red head.

"She got Sakura pissed," Anko said not bothering to say anymore.

That's all I needed to know anyway. I will ask my cousin what happened later, but now I have to deal with a problem.

"Detention after school today," I said.

"WHAT! Just because I told her what I know is true?" she yelled at me. Like I would believe what she says is the truth. Her telling someone the truth, ha what a joke. If I had to pick who was telling the truth between her and Kakashi, I would believe Kakashi no matter how ridiculous his answer might be.

"Arguing with me? Detention after school tomorrow."

"That's not fair," she protested. Tsk, tsk, don't talk back to me or protest on what I say; it's just makes things worse.

"Make sure you also stop by for detention on Friday as well. Now leave," I said not wanting to deal with her anymore.

She got up and left the office and I leaned back in my chair rubbing my temples.

"You want me to tell you what she did?" Anko asked.

"I'll find out from Sakura later."

"Alright, see you tomorrow," she said turning to leave.

"Mhmm," I said before packing my things up.

XxXxXxX

_Sakura's POV_

I took the stairs two by two until I reached the bottom and from there I walked into the kitchen where the scent of pancakes filled my nose.

"Good morning," my mom greeted handing me a plate.

"Good morning," I said as I took it and sat down.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked.

"Much," I said before stuffing my face.

I looked at the time and finished my breakfast before gulping down the glass of orange juice that was set on the table in front of me.

"Bye mom!" I yelled as I grabbed my bag and dashed out of the house.

I walked down the street to Ino's house and skipped up the driveway to the door where I set my bag down and rang the doorbell before clasping my hands behind my back. The door opened and Ino's older brother stood there looking down at me and a smile crawled up on his face.

"Good morning Deidara," I said.

"How's my little Cherry-chan?" he asked before grabbing me and hoisting me over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes.

"I'm not a bag of potatoes you know," I said as my hair fell over my shoulder.

"I know," he said cheerily as he carried me up to Ino's room.

He opened the door and I know Ino turned to look at us, but I obviously couldn't see anything but the floor and if I looked up and across from me I would see the hallway.

"Do you ever do this to Ino?" I asked blowing a strand of hair out of my face.

"Yes he does and would you put her down already?" Ino said.

"Fine," he said dropping me on the bed before retreating to his room down the hall.

I watched as Ino fixed her hair before looking back at me. She glanced over what I was wearing before grabbing a brush and coming over towards me.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I felt her unloose my low ponytail.

"Fixing your hair," she stated obviously before passing the brush through my pink hair.

I played with the hem of my shirt as she pulled my hair up and into a high ponytail.

"There we go," she said happily before waltzing over to her dresser where she placed the brush down and grabbed some pink lipgloss.

"Why are you gonna put lipgloss on me?" I asked.

"Because I want to and plus you gotta look sexy for your husband," she said.

"Sasuke is not my husband," I said.

"Not yet," she sang before applying the pink gloss to my lips.

"I know that you don't like to wear a lot of make-up to school so the lipgloss is all I am giving you to wear," she stated before grabbing me by the hand and pulling me up off the bed.

She threw the lipgloss in her make-up bag before grabbing her book bag and pushing me out the door.

"Bye mom and dad!" she yelled while shoving me out the front door.

I grabbed my bag and we both walked to the garage where her purple car awaited us.

As Ino drove out the driveway, I inserted a CD that she handed me and the speakers blasted out one of her favorite songs which was 'I'm A Barbie Girl.' She started singing to it and I caught myself also singing halfway through the song.

When we arrived at school we met up with Hinata and Tenten under one of the many oak trees in front of the school.

"Neji told me that Kurenai-sensei might partner the class up," Hinata said in her soft voice.

"I wonder who will be our partners?" Tennie wondered.

Before we could discuss the subject more the bell rang and we all went to our lockers before going to our first period class.

The first four class periods flew by fast and I am now standing in the cafeteria line behind Ino waiting to get my food.

"So I was thinking that we should have a movie night over at my place," Ino said as she took her plate of food.

"When?" Tennie asked as we walked outside to sit under our usual lunch table that was located under a tree.

"Next week Friday," she said taking a bite out of her salad.

"Close your mouth miss piggy," I said taking the seat across from her.

She opened her mouth wider and I pitched a small piece of lettuce at her. She stuck her tongue out before closing it to continue eating.

"I don't think Kiba would find you talking with food in your mouth attractive," Tennie said before taking a bite of her apple.

"Well, what about you miss tomboy?" Ino asked her putting one hand on her hip.

"What about me?" Tennie asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well….well...you're all tomboyish and maybe Neji wants to see you be all girly."

I rolled my eyes at them as their conversation continued all the way to our English class.

"Be quiet Ino," Tennie said lowly elbowing Ino in the ribs before pointing to Naruto and his friends that were already inside the classroom.

We all sat down in our regular chairs before Naruto and Kiba came up to us standing on either side of me with Kiba standing right next to Ino. I think she is kinda blushing and oh my gosh he is looking at her.

I so have to tell her. She'll probably turn the color of a strawberry; that'll be kinda funny to see.

"So did you guys hear that Kurenai-sensei is partnering the class up?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"I hope that I get partnered with someone good," Kiba said glancing at Ino as he said this.

"I know, I wanna be paired up with Hinata-chan," Naruto said pouting.

I looked over at Hinata and the poor girl turned as red as a cherry just from hearing that sentence. Those two seriously need to find out that the other likes them.

"Maybe you will. Who knows?" I said and I saw Hinata turn a shade darker if that was possible.

"Hey Hinata are you okay?" Naruto asked as he faced the girl.

She fainted and I watched as he caught her before she fell out of her chair.

"Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan," Naruto called shaking her a bit. I sighed and shook my head at his obliviousness.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked blinking her eyes.

"Hey," he said.

And she faints again. Poor girl.

"Oh no! Hinata-chan wake up! Is she sick?!" I could hear the slight panic in his voice.

"She's okay Naruto," Tennie said.

"Okay?! She doesn't look okay!" So right now I can say that he is clearly freaking out.

"This happens sometimes," I said.

"It does?" He tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Yep, and I know just how to deal with this," Ino said walking over to them.

"Just fix her so she's resting her head on her desk please," Ino said.

Naruto nodded and did what he was told and watched as Ino crouched down to Hinata's ear.

"Hey Hinata, I think you should wake up because Naruto's about to kiss you," I heard her whisper quietly.

"Huh!" Hinata said as she jerked upright with a bright face.

"What did you say?" Naruto asked. Isn't it amazing how I heard that and he didn't?

"You don't need to know." Ino smiled and walked back to her seat.

"We'll talk about this later, right Hinata?" I asked wiggling my eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

She turned red and the girls and I laughed at her expression. The bell rang and students piled into the classroom with our English teacher, Kurenai, right behind.

"Okay, settle down, settle down," Kurenai's loud voice said.

The chatter in the room ceased immediately and we all watched as she scanned the room with her red eyes.

"I have decided to partner you up, and that person will be your partner for the rest of the year. All projects will be done together and you will be seated next to each other. Got it? Good."

I watched as Kurenai grabbed her grading book off of her desk before coming to stand in front of the class.

"You will not ask me to switch your partners and I do not want to hear any complaints. Okay, now let's see here." She looked down at her grading book and began calling out names.

"Karin and Suigetsu." I could mentally hear the screaming and cussing.

"Ami and Haku." Still hear the screaming.

This continued until all the kids in class were paired up except for me, Tennie, Hina, Ino, Kiba, Neji, Naruto, and Sasuke. Looks like Naruto might just get his wish of being paired together with Hinata. Poor girl might faint though.

"Ino and Kiba." I looked over at Ino who had her face turned in the direction of the window and I noticed a small but yet visible blush on her face.

"Tenten and Neji." Tennie was calm and collected from the looks of it, but since I know her she is blushing on the inside.

"Hinata and Naruto." Her face was as red as a cherry and she looked like she was going to faint at the moment; but Naruto on the other hand was doing a victory dance in his seat.

"And lastly, Sakura and Sasuke." Oh gosh. There's that feeling again, the one that I get every time he is watching me.

"Now for the seating arrangement," Kurenai said as she placed her book on the desk behind her.

As she was instructing us where to sit the bell rang and interrupted her. "Tomorrow we will continue this. Have a good day."

The girls and I speedily walked out of the classroom and went to our lockers to retrieve our books for our math class.

"Oh my gosh, we got paired with them," Ino said her voice going a little high.

"I know," Tennie said.

"This is going to be awkward," I said as we walked into our math class.

Hinata nodded her head and we sat down just as the late bell rang.

The teacher began today's lesson and as soon as his back was turned a note was placed on my desk.

_Sasuke was watching you in English. ;)_

_**I know**_

I threw the note to Ino's desk that was placed facing the classroom with the back facing the window behind. A minute didn't even pass when Ino threw the note back at me.

_He likes being paired up with you_

_**How would you know?**_

_I just do and he likes you so of course he would love this opportunity_

_**Whatever**_

And that was the last thing said between us before the teacher assigned us work that had to be turned in after class.

I work speedily through the exercise because I already knew how to do it and once it was completed, I sat back in my seat and looked out the window at the clear blue sky.

I sat staring out the window until the bell rang signaling the end of this class period. I handed in my paper and waited for the girls outside the classroom door. As we all walked to gym I felt that weird feeling again. I have to admit that it makes me nervous and at the same time it is a little annoying because I feel it in every class period.

"He can't take his eyes off of you," Ino squealed.

I made no comment as I walked through the gym doors and headed into the locker room to change.

I managed to survive our 'youthful' and torturous gym class. Our teacher, Gai-sensei, always talks about youth. He makes us run ten laps, stating that our youthfulness will grow and shine as bright as the stars in the night sky.

I wonder where he learned about this youth thing. Lee, Gai's favorite student who looks similar to him, is the one that always follows Gai-sensei and his youthful teachings. He also proclaims his so called undying love for me whenever he sees me.

Sometimes when he talks to me he suddenly stops and then changes the subject before leaving and while I am kinda grateful I can't help but wonder why the sudden change. Ino said it was something about Sasuke, but I dunno.

Well, at least I got him off my back for now. And now I can just go home and relax and maybe take a warm shower.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Me: Thank you guys for reviewing. I love hearing that you enjoyed the chapter. (=**

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A week has passed and my new seating arrangement is making me nervous. Sometimes when I am doing my work, I feel his leg brush against mine's and I don't know if it's accidental or intentional.

Me and him haven't talked much and Ino keeps bugging me in math class saying that he glances at me and stares at me, something that I am already aware of. She also said she saw his hand inching closer to mine's once or twice in English.

We are supposed to have our movie night later today at Ino's house and I am excited about it. She's says it's gonna be fun and that her mom and dad are gonna be gone for most of the night and the only other person in the house other than us is going to be Deidara.

My older brother, Sasori, said that he'd tag along because Deidara might become girly if he stays around us too long which is a complete lie. Deidara loves us so much.

"So who's gonna bring the chocolate?" Ino asked as we sat down with our lunch.

"Me! Me! I'll do it," Tennie said happily.

"Oh boy, we are gonna get hyper tonight," Ino said as I imagined all the types of chocolate Tennie could get her hands onto.

"So Sakura," Ino said giving me her full attention. I stopped daydreaming about the chocolates and looked at her.

"Yes?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"When are you gonna tell Sasuke that you love him?" I blushed bright red and the macaroni fell from my fork and landed in my plate.

"Ino, be quiet!" I said my eyes darting around to make sure that no one was around to hear.

"Well I just wanted to know."

"Hey your husbands are coming," Tennie said to Ino and Hinata. Hinata turned redder than me and buried her face in her hands.

"This is great," I sarcastically said. "I don't mind, but if they come Sasuke comes which means awkwardness."

"We all know you want him to come," Ino said.

"Well, we all know that you want Kiba to come," I said back.

"Ok so what if I do?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said shaking my head slightly.

"Wait, if Sasuke comes and Naruto and Kiba comes that means nii-san will come," Hinata said smiling deviously while looking at Tenten.

She doesn't seem so innocent anymore does she?

"Wah?" Tennie said blushing slightly.

"You know you like him," Hinata sang happily.

"Shush, hear they come," Tennie said lowly.

"Hey guys," Naruto greeted while taking a seat by Hinata who was once again blushing.

"Hi," we greeted.

Neji took the seat next to Tenten and Kiba took the seat next to Ino which means that Sasuke will sit next to me. I thought that he was gonna sit on the right side of me in the empty space, but he didn't. Instead, he squeezed himself in between Tenten and I.

"How ya doing?" Kiba asked.

"Awesome," Ino said.

"Fine," I said.

"Great!" Tennie said.

"Good," Hinata said shyly.

"You have ramen?! Can I have some?!" Naruto said to Hinata while drooling at her food.

"Uh, sure," Hinata said timidly.

"Yay!" Her face starting turning pink as she watch Naruto use his chopsticks to take some ramen.

"So what are you guys gonna do over the weekend?" Kiba asked looking at Ino.

"Well, uh, we are having a movie night tonight," Ino said nervously while playing with her hair.

"That's cool," Kiba said.

"Can we come?!" Naruto asked. I'm pretty sure he is getting ready to get down on his knees and beg us to come.

"Yeah, can we?" Kiba asked. Now I am pretty sure she is gonna say yes.

"Yeah," Ino said. See, it's predictable.

"Cool," Kiba replied before taking a bite of his lunch.

The rest of lunch was spent with Kiba and Naruto talking and us replying with short answers to whatever they asked. I made it through the last three class periods which seemed to drag on and now I am currently waiting for Ino to hurry and get her things.

As she was taking out her literature book from her locker Kiba leaned on the locker next to hers.

"I was wondering what time we have to be there for," Kiba said smiling.

"Um…7:30 would be fine," Ino said.

"See ya later," he said before walking away.

I watched as Ino stared at Kiba. A blush that wasn't on her face before now appeared.

"Sakura to Ino, Sakura to Ino, can you hear me?" I asked.

"Of course I can hear you," she said looking at me.

"Well, I just thought that maybe since you were staring at Kiba and his ass you wouldn't really hear me," I said walking with her to the parking lot.

"I was not staring at his ass," she said as we approached Hinata and Tenten who was waiting at Ino's car.

"Whatcha talking about?" Tennie asked rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Ino and how she was staring at Kiba's ass," I said walking to the other side of the car.

"I told you, I was not staring at his ass," she said.

"Ok," I said letting it go while Tennie laughed.

"Oh, be quiet, you probably stare at Neji's ass, Tenten," Ino said while getting into the car.

"Do not," Tennie said while her face turned pink.

"Oh so you do," I said smiling.

"Your face is pink Tennie," Hinata pointed out smiling that little mischievous smile of hers.

Tenten responded to us by turning her face away and looking out the window. Hinata, Ino, and I laughed for a while before Ino turned on the radio.

"Sakura, you shouldn't talk. You probably stare at Sasuke's ass all the time," Tennie said her face now back to its regular color.

"I do not." I turned in my seat to look at her and her little smile. "I just can't help it if my eye's wander a little down."

"Ha, so you admit it!" she shouted pointing at me.

"Unlike you and Ino, yes, I admit it," I said turning back around to face the front.

"So Hinata," I continued, "what dark, little secret do you have bottle up, hm? Staring at Naruto's ass maybe? Or do you just want to jump him? Or maybe both?"

"Yeah, tell us," Tennie said. "We are like family."

"Not like Tennie, are, we are family," Ino corrected.

"So Hinata do you wanna kiss him?" I asked.

"Maybe get a little tongue action," Ino said pulling into the driveway of Tennie's house.

"I'll be right back in less than ten minutes," Tennie said grabbing her bag and racing to the front door.

"But seriously Hinata, what's in that mind of yours?" I asked as I turned to look at her.

"Come on, tell us," Ino pleaded with puppy dog eyes and a pout.

"Fine, I'll tell, but only when Tenten comes back," she said as before looking at the front door of Tenten's house.

"Yay!" Ino cheered.

Two minutes later, Tennie came back with a bag full of clothes.

"Okay, let's go," Tennie said.

"Okay, Hinata tell us, please," I said politely.

"I admit that I wanna kiss him, and I do stare at his ass; jumping him would be a little weird."

"But you would still want to jump him, right?" Ino asked.

"Yes," she said her face turning a light shade of pink.

"Aw, you two are gonna be so cute together," I said just as Ino pulled up Hinata's driveway.

Hinata left to go get her stuff and once she came back we were off to my house to get my things before stopping by the store to buy the snacks.

"Okay, so I'll go this way," Ino said pointing to the left of the store, "and Tennie will go that way. Sakura and Hinata you will go that way."

I watched as she walked off to the left with a shopping basket in hand before turning to Tennie who was already walking to the right side of the store.

"Well, come on," I said to Hinata as I started walking to the middle of the store to find some goodies.

I picked up a few bags of Lays and Hinata grabbed a twelve pack of root beer. As we walked around some more, I stopped to pick up some graham crackers and marshmallows.

"What else do you think we should get Hina?" I asked as we walked along the candy section.

"How about some gummy worms? I love the sour kind. And we should get some of that sticky string thingy in the can."

"I understand getting some gummy worms, but why sticky string?" I asked looking at her confused.

"So we could maybe have some fun tonight. The boys are coming over and possible staying so why not have a little fun with them," she said with that mischievous smile on her face.

"Have I ever told you that I love it when you are devious?" I asked smiling the same mischievous smile.

"Why yes, I think you have Sakura dear," she said before I giggled at her.

"Come on let's find Tennie. Knowing her, she'll still be in the chocolate isle," I said.

Tennie was indeed in the chocolate isle when we found her. Her basket was filled to the brim with different types of chocolates and she was still looking at all the sweets before she noticed us.

"Hey guys," she said noticing the sticky string.

"I see that you are looking at the sticky string," I said with that smile appearing on my face again.

"What's it for?" she asked in a sing song voice.

"Well, Hinata, our lovable, devious best friend, thought that we should have a little fun with the guys," I said.

Tenten's face lit up in happiness and her mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"Well, then if we are gonna have fun, we might as well get a few more things, right?" Tenten's eyes held a devious glint.

"What kind of things?" I was curious to know.

"Maybe some whip cream, cotton balls, water balloons," she said checking them off on her finger.

"Cotton balls?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, cotton balls," Tennie stated.

"We might be able to do some stuff with cotton balls," I said with a finger to my chin.

"Now let's go find them," Tennie said.

So our hunt for the cotton balls, whip cream, and balloons began. We did run into Ino when we were looking for the whip cream and she looked at the items in our hands.

"What is that for?" she asked gesturing to the cotton balls.

"You'll see," Hinata sang.

"You guys are up to something and I have a feeling that I like it," she said as we walked to the cash register.

We reached Ino's house in less than ten minutes and we unpacked everything, placing the whip cream in the fridge and putting the cotton balls and balloons on her room.

"Hey, Ino do you have a slingshot?" I asked.

"Nooooooooo, why do you ask?"

"Well, we could use it for the water balloons," I said.

"Ask Deidara," she said to me.

"Okay." I happily skipped off to Deidara's room.

"DeiDei-chan, do you have a slingshot?" I asked from the doorway.

He looked away from the television screen to look at me. "Why?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, we wanna borrow it for something," I said.

"What's the something?" he asked getting up from his seat.

"Ino invited the guys over and we just wanna borrow the slingshot so we can use it against them."

I watched as he walked into his closet. He pitched out various items such as pillows, stuff animals which by the way he made sure he threw on his bed, and a few clothes.

"Here ya go," he said handing it to me before ruffling my hair.

"Thanks." I fixed my hair while walking to Ino's room.

"Got one," I said as I took a seat on the bed.

"One isn't gonna be enough," Tennie said.

"You're right. I'll call Sasori." I pulled out my phone from my pocket and dialed Sasori's number.

"Hello?"

"Can you bring over our slingshots?"

"Why?" his voice told me that he wanted to know, yet at the same time he didn't.

"Because me and the girls are gonna use them against the guys."

"Fine, bye."

"No wait, bring three bags of ice." Tennie looked at me. I smiled at her and she bounced over to where I was.

"Fine, bye."

"Bye bye," I said before hanging up the phone.

"Ice?" Tennie asked.

"Ice," I confirmed.

"Why?" Hinata asked.

"Why just pitch water balloons?"

"This is gonna be fun," Ino stated.

"Yes, yes it is," I said before Hinata and Tenten laughed mischievously.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Me: Thank you guys for reviewing. I loved your reviews!**

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So I am in the living room dressed in a tank top and basketball shorts and my hair is still damp from my recent shower. Tennie is dressed the same way as I and Ino is wearing short shorts and a tank top while Hinata is wearing pajama pants and a tank top.

"So about the cotton balls," Ino began.

"Well, I think that I need to really think about what we are gonna use them for," Tenten said.

"We can definitely use them," I said flipping through the channels on the TV.

"You're gonna order the pizza, right?" Hinata asked Ino.

"Yeah, one supreme, one meat lovers, and one pepperoni. I'll get Deidara to pick them up."

"You called?" Deidara asked walking into the room.

"Can you pick up the pizzas?" Ino asked.

"How many boxes did you order?"

"Three," she responded.

"That's not gonna be enough."

"What do you mean not enough?" she asked.

"Naruto and Sasuke are coming, right?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Well, their older brothers, Itachi and Pein, are coming too."

"One box of pizza isn't gonna be enough for you guys?" Ino asked.

"Nope. We're growing boys that need to eat," he said plopping down next to me.

Ino rolled her eyes at him before going into the kitchen.

"You don't want us to starve do you?" He asked loudly.

"Maybe she does," Tennie said smiling.

"You're mean," he stated.

"But you love us," I said.

"That I do," he said ruffling my hair.

"What kind of pizza do you want?!" Ino yelled from the kitchen.

"Cheese!" DeiDei said. I shook my head when I heard how childish he sounded.

I stared at the television screen while letting my mind wander about, thinking about the event taking place in a few minutes. A house full of teenagers, bags of ice, water balloons, sticky string, and whip cream. Doesn't that just sound like trouble to you?

Maybe we can hold someone captive. I wonder if Tennie still has those handcuffs her uncle gave her for her birthday with her. Who'll be a good captive? Naruto will be too loud if we take him, and Kiba would probably be half as loud, but loud nonetheless. Neji will probably be okay and so would Sasuke.

Hm…what about the whip cream? Maybe I could make Sasuke a Santa Claus beard out of it and put a cherry on his nose. I wonder if Ino has cherries. Cotton balls, seriously what can we do with those?

Maybe glue it to them or cover them in maple syrup and stick all over them. Hey, all of this sounds like an art project. The art supplies are the whip cream, cherries, sticky string, and cotton balls. Yep, a big art project. Maybe we should have some glitter to use. Ino has lots and lots of glitter.

DING DONG

"Coming!" Ino yelled rushing from the kitchen to the front door. She straightened out her hair and clothes before opening it.

"Hey guys, come on in," I heard her say before people appeared in the living room.

I glanced at all of them, my eyes staying glued to Sasuke who was wearing black basketball shorts and a vest. Now that is hot, very very very hot. Very hot and drool worthy.

I jerked slightly when Hinata pinched my side. I rubbed my side while looking at her.

"I had to do something. If I didn't you would have probably started to drool," she whispered.

"Thanks," I whispered back still rubbing my side. Damn, that girl has pincers.

"Damn girly, you got some pincers there," I whispered.

She giggled at me before we turned our attention back to the guests in the house. I caught Ino staring at Kiba and blushing slightly.

"So um…just make yourselves at home," she said before taking a seat.

I watched as each one made their way to sit down. Sasuke took a seat close to me and I watch as his older brother took the one next to Pein and Sasori. Sasuke and Itachi look kind of similar, but at the same time not. Pein and Naruto also sort of resemble each other except Pein's hair is orange and Naruto's is blonde. And Pein has multiple piercings and no whisker like birthmarks while Naruto doesn't have any piercings.

I dug in the pockets of my basketball shorts for my phone and once I pulled it out I texted Ino. I know, she's sitting right there, but I don't wanna break the silence or anything.

'Hey, Hina and I r gonna go get some snacks, k.' Send.

I then texted Hinata even though she was sitting next to me.

'Let's go get some snacks.' Send.

'Sure.' She replied.

'Okay.' Ino replied.

If I just get up and leave it would be awkward so I have to say that I'm going for snacks which is what I wanted to avoid doing. Oh well.

"Me and Hinata will be right back. We're gonna go get some snacks," I said. Hm…that wasn't so bad.

"Get me a root bear and some Lays," Deidei said.

"Fine," I said as we got up. As we walked to the kitchen I felt that weird way I always do whenever Sasuke stares at me.

"I'll go help them," I heard Naruto say before his footsteps were heard coming in our direction.

When he entered the kitchen me and Hina looked at him.

"You didn't have to help us you know," I stated.

"I know, but I needed an excuse."

"An excuse?" Hina asked.

"Mm," he nodded.

"For what?" I asked taking a seat on the stool behind me.

"I wanted to talk to you about the almost fight the other day. What happened back there? You never loose your cool like that," he said sitting next to me.

"I took enough shit from her that's what. All the years she and her friends would do crap to me and the girls. All through our childhood, we put up with what she did. The teasing, the name-calling, and the hits I'm tired of it. And that day when she spoke all those things it reminded me of all that she did and when she spoke about my mom, I just lost it."

He grabbed my hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Its okay, I got your back and Hinata's," he smiled his goofy grin, making me smile.

I gave him a huge bear hug. "You're the brother that I never had." I smiled at him. He smiled back at me and hugged me back. I wanted Hinata to join in the hugging too.

"C'mon Hinata join in, we have space for one more person," I said moving aside so that Naruto's left arm would be hugging me.

"Yeah," Naruto said with a light blush dusting his cheeks. She blushed slightly before hugging him and me together.

As soon as Hinata hugged Naruto, his right arm tightened around her. I smiled secretively.

"You said that Karin did things to you guys when you were smaller, right? Things like what?" Naruto asked looking down at both me and Hinata.

"Well…" I started. Hinata just fidgeted slightly.

_Flashback_

_A seven year old Sakura, Tenten, Ino, and Hinata were near the pond in the forest behind the school. They went there every Friday after school to look at the sky and the pretty little pond, and sometimes they even sat on the dock watching as butterflies land on the flowers near the dock. _

_One Friday they were not alone. They were enjoying the time they had before their brothers came to pick them up from school and while they were sitting down under a tree four small figures about the same height as them stood in front of them. _

_"__Well, what do we have here?" asked a young Karin staring in disgust at the four young girls._

_"__What do you think we should do with them, Karin-chan?" _

_"__Well, Ami-chan I want to deal with these two; you, Mei-chan, and Shichi-chan can deal with those two," Karin said as she smiled overly sweet at Hinata and Sakura. _

_"__Hai," Ami said before turning her back to Karin._

_"__Come here," Karin said dragging both Sakura and Hinata by their hair to the docks._

_"__You two get on my nerves more than the other two," she said delivering a kick to both Hinata and Sakura. _

_"__You need to stay away from Sasuke-kun and Hinata, Shichi-chan doesn't like the fact that you are around Naruto," she said once more kicking them in the stomach._

_The two girls on the floor coughed and cried in pain. _

_"__W-w-why?" came Sakura's shaky voice. "W-why-y d-do th-this to us?"_

_"__It's simply really; we want you to stay away from Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, Kiba-kun, and Neji-kun."_

_"__B-but w-w-we didn't d-do a-a-an-ything," came Hinata's soft, broken voice._

_"__You are a threat, so why not get rid of you two now, right?"_

_Karin grabbed each girl by the neck and hoisted them up in the air and over the edge of the dock. _

_"__Sakura, Hinata!" Tenten yelled as she watched her two friends dangling over the water._

_"__Ten-ten," came Sakura's voice. She tried to pry Karin's hand off her throat but it was useless. _

_"__I-ino," Hinata said._

_Tenten and Ino watched as Karin's hold on them tightened._

_"__Ino, get out of here and get help," Tenten said standing in front of her._

_"__B-but," Ino replied watching the three girls before them._

_"__I can handle them, just go," Tenten said. Ino nodded and ran as fast as she could to the front of the school._

_"__Deidara, Sasori where are you?!" Ino thought as she searched the front yard._

_She spotted Neji and ran up to him._

_"__Have you seen Hinata?" he asked._

_"__Neji, Hinata and Sakura and Tenten and the pond and Karin and her friends and the water and and and," Ino rambled on her body shaking._

_"__Ino, Ino calm down for a moment. What happened?"_

_"__We were by the pond as usual and Karin and her friends came and Karin dragged Sakura and Hinata by their hair and kicked them and now they are dangling above the pond. And Mei, Shichi, and Ami were beating me and Tenten up and Tenten sent me to find someone while she holds them off."_

_"__Not good," Neji said sprinting off to the pond._

_"__Wait for Sasori or someone," she heard before he disappeared into the trees._

_"__Where are you guys?" Ino thought as she fidgeted in her spot._

_Neji saw the same exact scene Ino described to him when he reached the pond._

_"__Put them down," he said coldly glaring at Karin._

_"__Oh, hi Neji-kun," Karin said ignoring what he said._

_"__I said put them down," he repeated._

_"__Now why would I want to do that?" Karin said sweetly._

_"__N-n-ne-ji," Tenten brokenly replied from the floor._

_"__Tenten!" he yelled pushing the girls away from her._

_"__Are you alright?" he asked as he watched the blood run down her forehead._

_"__You need to s-s-save S-sakura and H-hinata," she said before coughing. _

_XxXx_

_"__Hi Ino-chan, where's Sakura-chan, Tenten-chan, and Hinata-chan?" Deidara asked as he looked around the schoolyard._

_"__They're in trouble. By the pond Karin and her friends and Sakura and Hinata are dangling above the pond. And Tenten. And Neji, he just went to help," Ino rambled on as she stared at her brother._

_"__Crud," he said pulling out his phone as he started running in the direction of the pond, Ino right behind him._

_RING RING_

_"__Hello," Sasori's bored voice said._

_"__Drop whatever you're doing and come to the pond as fast as you can," was all Sasori heard before Deidara hung up on him.._

_Deidara and Ino arrived in the opening. Deidara looked at the scene before him. A red headed kid holding Hinata and Sakura above the pond and a beaten up Tenten who was getting help from Neji._

_"__That's Karin," Ino said shakily watching as Sakura and Hinata struggled to breathe._

_"__Karin, put them down on the dock," Deidara said watching the small girl smile evilly._

_"__But that's no fun," she whined._

_"__You want to know what's fun sempai?" she asked as she turned her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her eye._

_Deidara didn't want to answer because he was afraid of what she might do. He watched helplessly as the people he considered siblings dangle over the pond, losing breathe with every second that passed by._

_"__I think that this is fun," she said as she let them go._

_Deidara rushed forward and as he jumped into the water to catch Hinata, he saw from the corner of his eye someone holding Sakura above the water's surface. He turned his head and saw Sasori holding onto his sister._

_Deidara let out a deep breathe and felt relieved now knowing that both girls will be safe. _

_"__Man, I'm so happy you came in time," Deidara said as they both climbed onto the shore, setting both Hinata and Sakura down. They both started coughing before breathing in gulps of fresh air._

_"__I reached just when she was saying that last sentence," Sasori said before he watched his sister. _

_Anger bubbled up in him and he looked at the person who almost made him lose one of the most important people in his life. _

_Deidara rest a hand on Sasori's shoulder. "I know how you feel and I know that it's hard to leave it alone; but we have to."_

_"__I know," Sasori said his hands clenching and unclenching. _

_"__Tch, ruining my plans," Karin said._

_"__Why kill them?" Neji asked helping Tenten walk over to Ino and her brother._

_"__They were in our way," Karin whined._

_"__One day it won't be me saving them, it'll be them saving themselves. And don't think they won't injure you because you're wrong." And with that Sasori and Deidara took the kids home where they would be cleaned up._

_End Flashback_

"What?!" Naruto yelled.

"Shut up!" I yelled slightly. "We don't want anyone coming into the kitchen to ask anything."

"Anyway, I'm going to carry Deidara's stuff out to him before everyone starts wondering what's going on," I said before opening the fridge to get his root beer and then turning to the retrieve a bag of chips from off the counter.

"Be right back," I said leaving Naruto and Hinata still hugging. And Naruto looked kinda mad.

"Here's your chips," I handed Deidara the bag and the drink before turning to walk back into the kitchen.

"It doesn't take a whole year to get them," he said.

"Well, if Naruto's around maybe it does," I said before an idea popped into my head.

"Hey Ino," and his eyes are on me again, "I wanna ask you something so can you please come over here."

"What is it?" she asked standing next to me.

"Can I borrow your iPod and speakers?" I asked sweetly.

"Why?" she asked.

"Look in the kitchen and you will see a sweet surprise," I said.

She poked her head around the corner and gasped. "Oh my gosh, no way."

"What is it?" Tennie asked coming over. She too poked her head around the corner before a cheerful smile erupted on her face.

She whistled innocently back to her seat where she sat down smiling.

"Now about the iPod," Ino said drawing my attention away from Tenten.

"Well, they didn't confess anything yet but I want to drop a few hints if you know what I mean," I said before she dragged me to her room.

"So what songs were you thinking of using?"

"I was thinking of using Bad Romance by Lady Gaga and Down by Jay Sean. It kinda fits plus the songs would be like they are singing to each other."

"Nice," Ino said retrieve the said item that I asked for.

"So come help me get the rest of snacks and stuff," I said as we both headed to the kitchen.

"Okay," she said as we entered the kitchen.

She plugged her iPod into the speakers and Bad Romance filled the room.

"Oh, don't worry about us; Ino just wanted to help me get the rest of snacks," I said watching as they both blushed while still holding on to each other.

Me and Ino left them alone to carry the snacks into the living room. When I stepped into the room, I could feel his eyes on me again. Seriously, how could I notice this from before? I went over to him and handed him a Pepsi and he said a barely audible thank you.

"Your welcome," I said just as quietly before turning around to give my brother the other drink in my hand.

He took it and then looked at me before looking at Sasuke. He then looked back and forth between Sasuke and me before wiggling his eyebrows which caused me to blush slightly and Pein and Itachi to smirked a bit.

I retreated to the kitchen with Ino and when we entered Down was playing but Hinata now sat next to Naruto.

"Just continue getting snacks, I have a plan. Wait, get your camera," I whispered to Ino who dashed out of the room as soon as I said camera.

She arrived back in a minute which was pretty amazing considering the fact that she had to run to her room to get it from her drawer before running back. Hinata looked at her before Ino smiled really big.

I shook my head before acting like I was going to get the snacks.

"Hey Hinata, isn't Naruto's eyes really pretty?" I asked.

"Um…yes, it is," she said.

"Hey Naruto, doesn't Hinata's eyes kind of remind you of a pearl or maybe the color of a flower?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said as he stared directly at her eyes.

One, get them distracted, accomplished; now to get them to get closer. I kept watching them. Well, it looks like they're doing a good job at getting closer. I watched as their faces got closer without them noticing.

Two, get them closer, accomplished. Now all I have to do is get them to kiss. I walked up easily to them and positioned my hand behind their heads before I pushed their heads forward and guess what, I got them to kiss.

I ducked behind the counter and saw the flash from the camera. Yes, Ino got the picture.

Mission: get them to kiss is now completed. Woot! I popped back up and saw the blushing faces of Naruto and Hinata.

"You guys can thank me now," I said happily while picking up the snacks. Both of them didn't say anything and I just laughed before walking out of the room.

"When Ino comes in the room ask her to see her camera," I whispered to Tenten before going back to the kitchen to get my brother a bag of chips.

"Hey Sakura, I think you should let them kiss without any help next time."

"Hey, they needed a little push. Right guys?" I asked as I threw my hands around their shoulders.

"Seriously, though, you guys needed a little push." I grabbed the chips and walked out of the kitchen again.

"So what's going on in there?" Sasori asked as he took the chips from me.

"Nothing," I said innocently.

"I don't believe you," he said.

"That's fine with me," I said.

'Hey, get in d kitchen. I think they r goin 2 confess their luv 4 1 another.'

"Well, gotta go," I said to Sasori before dashing into the kitchen.

"When you said we needed a little push, what exactly did you mean?" Naruto asked looking at me.

"I mean just confess already," I said both hands on my hip. Naruto immediately turned pink and Hinata turned redder than a strawberry.

"Or do you want me to do that for you?" I asked both of them.

"No," Naruto said, "but could you please give us some space?"

"Sure, come on Ino," I said pulling her along.

"But he said for _you_ to give them space not me," she said as I pulled her out of the kitchen.

"It's better if I not ask," I heard Sasori say before turning to look at him.

"Ino, lemme see! Lemme see!" Tenten said bouncing in her seat.

Ino rushed over to her and showed her the picture. "Oh my gosh!" Tenten squealed. Yes, Tenten actually squealed.

"I need a copy of that for my photo album," she said.

"Me too," I said sitting down.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kiba asked.

"Um…" Ino said.

"Something," Tennie said.

I wonder how it's going with those two lovebirds. They are finally gonna get together. That's so awesome.

XxXxXxX

_Naruto's POV_

After the kiss I kept silent not knowing what to say or do. It was kind of awkward and Ino was just here watching us.

Sakura came back into the room and mentioned that we should just confess already and my face started to turn pink, I could feel it. I asked for some privacy so I could confess without having to be embarrassed any more than I already am.

Sakura agreed and pulled Ino out of the room. I sighed inaudibly. Well, here I go.

"So….um….I guess I should tell you that I love you," I said my face heating up. "And I have loved you for a long time. Sakura obviously knew so that was why she did what she did."

There I said it and it felt good. And it wasn't that bad. I looked at Hinata and smiled my goofy grin.

"Um….well….I guess th-at I s-s-should tell you the same," she said and my smile grew bigger.

"So does that mean?" I asked.

"Y-yes, I do l-love you," she said quietly.

"Yipee!" I said feeling happy. I grabbed her and spun her around and she giggled. I set her down and looked into her pearlish lavender eyes. I leaned my head down slightly and gave her a kiss.

When I pulled back she was blushing and I smiled goofily before spinning her around again.

"I think we should go tell Sakura," Hinata said.

"And the others," I said.

"Well, maybe a little later," she said.

I nodded and we both headed into the living room.

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**Me: Naruto and Hinata are together now. Yay! So please review and tell me if you liked this chapter. (= **


	6. Chapter 6

**Me: I love the reviews! Thank you guys so much. I think my writing has improved from my first story. I'm glad that you guys love this story.**

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I stared at the TV watching as Fanboy traded ChumChum for a stupid toy robot. Seriously? Why would you trade your best friend for a little robot? Poor ChumChum. Yes, I watch Fanboy and ChumChum. It's an awesome show, okay.

I pulled my eyes away from the TV when I heard two sets of footsteps enter the room. I smiled as I saw a blushing Hinata and a goofy grinning Naruto. Yay! I just wanna hug them now. I'm so happy for them.

"Why didn't you guys tell me that Fanboy and ChumChum started?" Naruto asked taking the seat next to me while Hinata sat next to him.

"Because you had something more important to do at the moment," I said to him as I watched ChumChum fall into a giant glass thingy.

"Yep," he said as he grabbed Hinata's hand.

I smiled at them. I'm really glad for them. They finally after all these years confessed to each other with a little help from me and Ino. I wonder if anything like that would happen between me and Sasuke.

"So after we watch TV what are we gonna do?" Kiba asked.

"Well, Deidara has to go pick up the pizzas in a while," Ino said, "and then we are gonna play some games."

"Yay Pizza!" Naruto yelled. I rolled my eyes at him.

I smiled at the mention of playing games. The games are going to be really enjoyable, heehee. Right now I think we might be able to take Naruto captive. Well, Hinata will have to be the one to cuff him and I bet that he wouldn't complain. In fact, he might think it's sexy. I can so imagine that. A devious, little Hinata handcuffing Naruto.

"So Sakura, do you still want the…OUCH!" Sasori yelled.

"Oops, sorry Sasori," Ino said innocently.

'Shut up,' I mouthed to him and he got what I was trying to say.

"Well, just answer, yes or no," he said.

"Yes," I said.

"Fine, I'll go with Deidara when he goes to get the pizza and get them, okay?"

"Yay! Thankies," Tennie said before glomping him.

"You're welcome," he said pushing her off.

I can't wait for later. The ice fight is gonna rock. My phone vibrated and I pulled it out.

'I want some chocolate ;('

'Aw, poor u Tennie. Y don't u just go and get some?'

'Gr8 idea, thanks.'

She hopped off and dashed into the kitchen to retrieve her precious chocolate. Great, now she's tempting me to get some chocolate.

'Bring me back 1,' I texted.

'K,' was the reply.

Tennie goes all out on chocolate. She's like a chocoholic and now she's got me addicted to the stuff.

"Here ya go," she said throwing a chocolate bar into my lap.

"Thanks," I said unwrapping it.

Ah, the chocolatey goodness.

"Hey, I want a chocolate!" Naruto said.

"You could have gotten one while you were in the kitchen," I said as I tried to get the hearing back in my right ear.

"Well, I wasn't thinking about that," he said.

I rolled my eyes and continued eating my chocolate bar. I wonder what we could do while Deidei and Sasori go for the things. Well, Ino does have a pool, but then again I don't wanna get wet right now.

Deidei has a PS3; we could play that to pass the time. Or I could just let Ino come up with an idea.

"I'm gonna go pick up the pizzas, ok?" Deidei said.

"You said three, right?" Sasori asked me.

"Make it four," Tenten said smiling evilly.

"Four of what?" Naruto asked.

"Alright," Sasori said ignoring Naruto.

"Oh, wait, Deidei remember that thing that you gave Sakura earlier?" Ino asked.

"You mean the-" "Yes, that," Ino said cutting him off from saying anymore. "Buy a few more of those."

"Well, how much do you need?"

"Well, one more, but if you guys wanna join in you're gonna have to get more than one."

"Alright," Deidei said before going upstairs.

"I'm lost here! Someone wanna fill me in on what's going on?!" Naruto yelled.

"I have no idea what they are taking about either," Kiba said watching Ino.

"Hinata-chan?" whined Naruto.

"Nuh-uh," she said zipping her mouth closed with her hands before throwing away the invisible key.

"Please, Hinata-chan?" Naruto went into begging mode. He pouted his lips and stared into her eyes and I have to admit that the goofball looked adorable. He even went down on his knees in front of her, but Hinata just shook her head no.

"Aw, pwetty pwease?" Still, her answer was no.

"Pwetty pwease with a cherry on top?" She shook her head again and one of her mischievous smiles appeared on her face.

"Then you leave me no choice." What the hell is he talking about?

And then he kissed her; full-out kissed her. It lasted for about a minute before he pulled back and stared at her. Hinata blushed redder than a tomato while looking into his eyes.

"Did you," Kiba began.

"Just kiss," continued Pein.

"Hinata?" asked a furious Neji.

"Uh…hehehehe, yeah," said Naruto as he rubbed the back of his neck while looking at them.

"Naruto," Neji said in a kind of scary voice.

"Now Neji don't get mad," Naruto said jumping behind the couch me and Hinata was sitting on.

"Nii-san, don't get mad," Hinata said trying to calm Neji down.

"Don't get mad? He kissed you," Neji said advancing to our couch.

"Come on Neji, calm down," Tenten said from where she was.

"AH, Hinata save me!!!!" Naruto yelled as Neji came closer.

"Neji, sit down, relax, and have some chocolate," Tenten said watching as he got closer to Naruto.

"Relax?" he said turning to face Tenten.

"Yeah," she said.

"I think this would be a good time to tell them, don't you think Hinata," Naruto whispered to Hinata.

Hinata nodded her head and glanced at me before looking at a beaming Tenten and a cheerful Ino.

"So…um." Hinata looked down and started fiddling with her fingers.

"Hinata and I are together!" Naruto yelled proudly before hiding behind Hinata.

"WHAT!" yelled Neji. This is the first time that I see him loose his cool and yell. I looked over at Tenten who was trying not to laugh at Neji.

"Um…yes, we are together," Hinata spoke up.

I kept looking at Tenten who at the moment was trying not to laugh. It looked like she would explode with laughter any second now and I couldn't help the small smile that came to my lips. She looked at me and managed to calm down before taking a bite of her chocolate bar.

"And this happened when?" A furious Neji asked.

"A while ago," Naruto said as he peeked around Hinata.

A furious Neji is sort of amusing, that is, if you're not the one he is directing his anger toward. From the corner of my eye I saw Tennie getting up and when I looked towards her I saw her walking towards Neji.

"Hey Neji," she started.

"What?" he asked turning towards her.

She shoved her chocolate bar in his mouth. "Now sit down and relax." She walked back to her seat and I just looked at her. I have to talk to her because by shoving her half eaten chocolate bar in Neji's mouth she gave him an indirect kiss.

He chewed the chocolate and swallowed before turning to look at Naruto again. He sighed and took his previous seat giving one more glance at Naruto and Hinata.

Tennie smiled brightly at me and I returned her smile mischievously. She gave me a questioning look and I just held in a laugh. I looked at Ino who was also confused by my smile, but when I glanced back and forth between Tenten and Neji she seemed to understand what I was getting at and she too shared a smile similar to mine.

Deidei and Sasori came back downstairs and walked to the front door.

"Do you guys need anything else?" Sasori asked.

"Um…..," Ino began putting a finger to her chin. "Buy some stuff so we can make breakfast."

"Ok," her brother said before they headed out the front door.

When the door closed Ino turned her attention to Tennie, Hina, and I.

"What should we play?" she asked with a small glint in her eyes.

I shrugged and looked to Tennie who just looked at Hina for an answer. "I dunno know," Hinata said in her soft voice.

"I know! Let's play truth or dare!" Naruto said excitedly.

"Great idea, Naruto," Ino said as a mischievous smile broke out across her face.

I have a feeling that this is going to be a little awkward.

"And I have a different way that I wanna play." She looked directly at me and the glint in her eyes became more noticeable.

"Let's have two people go at a time and they team up to ask the questions. I wanna go first," she said.

"Me too!" Naruto said.

"Pick your victim Naruto," Ino said smiling evilly.

Naruto rubbed his hands together evilly and his eyes scanned each and every one of us.

"Before you choose me, I'm just going to say it now. I am not playing," Pein said.

"I'm also not participating," Itachi said.

"Awwww," Naruto said sounding sad.

"Oh be quiet and pick already," Ino said impatiently.

"I pick Sasuke."

"And I choose Sakura," Ino said wasting no time in picking.

I looked at Ino and I suddenly felt a little nervous.

"So truth or dare?" Naruto asked.

"Dare," we both simultaneously said.

"Come Naruto, let us discuss what dare we shall give them," Ino said walking out of hearing range.

Naruto got up and walked over to where Ino was. They began discussing, looking up once in a while to stare at the both of us.

I have no idea what they are planning. I am starting to wish that I picked truth, but then again that might be a bad idea because now that I think about, no matter what a choose it's a lose-lose situation.

If I had picked truth, Ino would have probably make me reveal that I like Sasuke which would have been a little embarrassing and awkward. Awkward because he'll find out that I like him and then I will have to start avoiding him; embarrassing because then he will look at me more and I would have admitted it to everyone that is in the living room.

"So we have decided," Ino said coming to stand in front of me.

"We dare you to follow us," Naruto said smiling cheekily.

Follow them? What kind of dare is this? Just what exactly are those two planning? I got up and stood next to Ino who was waiting for Sasuke to get up.

When he finally did she grabbed my hand and Naruto grabbed Sasuke and they both dragged us up the stairs and in front of a closet door. I looked at Ino as I finally realized what she was doing.

She was going to lock me in a closet with Sasuke. I already have to sit next to him in school and now I have to stay with him who knows how long in a closet? Nuh-uh, I don't now how long I can stand being around him.

I mean I love him and all, but being in a closet with him? Nuh-uh. It's a no-no. I would feel nervous, I wouldn't know what to say, and it would be awkward. Plus, he might look at me like he always does no scratch that he will look at me even though we will be in the dark.

And this closet is a problem because this is Ino's small closet. Meaning it doesn't have a lot of space which means that me and Sasuke are going to be touching each other. And these two are gonna keep us in here for a longgggg time.

"Naruto, will you do the honors?" Ino asked.

Naruto nodded and opened the door before stepping aside or more specifically behind Sasuke.

"In you go," Naruto said giving Sasuke one big push before Ino did the same. They both closed the door as soon as we were inside and I heard the click of the door. All I could do was stare at the place where I knew the door was.

"WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE, YOU TWO ARE SO DEAD!" I yelled before I realized that me and Sasuke were touching.

"La-la-la," Ino sang, "I can't hear you." I could hear their footsteps walk down the hallway and down the stairs.

I sighed. "Maybe we should look for a light switch," I suggested.

"Hn," was Sasuke's reply.

So the search for the light switch began. Did I mention that this closet is really really really small? Because it is and me and Sasuke were tangled up, well sort of. Our legs were tangled and he was close enough that if he moved forward by just three inches our bodies would be fully touching.

Damn, where's that light switch? I swept my hands over the wall feeling for anything that would be the light switch.

I let out a small hiss when I stumbled over some paint buckets and Sasuke put an arm around my waist to steady me.

"Thanks," I managed to say.

"Aa," he replied.

I blushed as his hand remained wrapped around my waist. At this moment I feel happy that neither of us found that switch because I was blushing really bad. I stumbled once more over the stupid paint buckets but I didn't fall or move much because of Sasuke's secure hold on my waist. I felt secure, protected, and comfortable in his hold.

I felt around some more for the switch and I finally found it, flicking it on. My eyes adjusted to the light and I looked down at the floor that was littered with paint buckets.

This is the art closet where Deidei keeps his things which means that his special clay is somewhere around here. Maybe we could get out of here.

"Hey, Sasuke, help me look for something that says Deidara's special clay," I said before untangling myself slightly to look on the shelves.

"Special Clay?" he asked.

I nodded my head and started to move the buckets that were on the shelf aside. The first and second row only had buckets and paintbrushes and when I started looking on the third row I found Ino's art glitter.

I searched some more and pushed a few buckets aside and finally I found some clay art. Sasuke was soon beside me and we both cleared out the shelf, finding what we were looking for all the way at the back.

XxXxXxX

Downstairs…

Ino and Naruto returned with smiles on their faces.

"Where's Sasuke and Sakura?" Tenten asked looking at Ino.

"Oh upstairs, locked in a closet with Sasuke," Ino said sitting down.

"So who's next?" Naruto asked his smile never leaving his face.

"I dunno," Tenten said shrugging with a big smile on her face.

"How long are they going to be up there?" Hinata asked.

"Until we feel like letting them out," Naruto replied while wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"So…do you guys want to temporarily pause our game of truth and dare until they come out of the closet?" Tenten asked.

"Sure, why not?" Naruto said.

XxXxXxX

"Okay, now all we have to do is put this right here," I said taking a small handful of clay out of the bag and placing it all over and around the doorknob. "Then I just do this," I said making a hand sign before a little poof sound was heard and then BOOM!

The doorknob and its surrounding area were blown off and I push the door open.

"Success!" I yelled before pulling Sasuke out.

XxXxXxX

BOOM!

"What was that?" Kiba asked looking up at the ceiling where the sound was heard.

"Only one thing I know in that closet goes boom," Ino said realizing what happened.

"It's Deidara's clay, isn't it?" Tenten asked.

"Yep," I said nodding her head up and down.

XxXxXxX

I let go of Sasuke's hand which felt nice to hold and I walked towards the stairs.

"Oh Ino," I sang, "come out, come out wherever you are."

XxXxXxX

"Oh Ino, come out, come out wherever you are."

"Oh shit," Ino muttered staring at the stairs in fear.

XxXxXxX

I started down the stairs taking them two by two. I wonder what I can do to get her back. I hopped off the last step and stared at Ino who started to laugh nervously.

"H-hi S-sakura," she said shrinking against Tenten.

"Naruto," Sasuke's voice said from behind me.

"H-hi t-teme," he said shrinking against Hinata.

The two blondes looked at us nervously, shifting their eyes back and forth between us.

"I suggest you run," Sasuke said before the two of them dashed out of the room with us hot on their heels.

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**Me: I hope that you guys review. I love to read them. (=**


	7. Chapter 7

**Me: Thank you guys for all the positive reviews! (= I really love reading them! **

**suigetsu-is-da-bomb: **You asked about the sequel to Vampire High right? Well, it won't be about summer vacation, it's gonna be about their second year in high school. (= And thanks for loving the story.

**And thank you all who love my story!**

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After fifteen minutes I managed to get Ino up into a tree in her backyard.

"You have to come down sometime pig," I said staring up at her. I plopped down on the ground under the tree.

As I was plucking some of the grass out of boredom, I heard fast footsteps approaching before a flash of yellow zoomed pass me.

"C'mon teme, it was just a dare," Naruto yelled before he jumped up into the tree.

Sasuke slowed down next to me, his breathing harsh form chasing Naruto. I looked at the two blonds in the tree and notice their relief for the moment.

"Are you guys gonna wait until we come down?" Ino asked as she stared at me.

"Maybe," I shrugged still plucking the grass.

"Come on guys, it was just a dare," Ino said looking at me with puppy dog eyes and a pout.

"Yeah, and the game is on pause until you guys come back inside," Naruto said.

I thought this over. Well, if we do continue to play we can always get them back for locking us up.

"Fine," I said.

"Fine as in you'll stop chasing us?" Ino asked.

"Yep," I nodded as I stood up.

"Yay!" Naruto yelled before he fell out of the tree.

Ouch, that's gotta hurt. He rubbed his behind and walked into the house complaining to Hinata that he hurt his butt.

I walked into the kitchen and notice that Deidei was back. The pizzas were left on the counter and the breakfast items were currently being put away for the morning.

"Sasori put the stuff in Ino's room," he said once he noticed me.

"Ok," I said as I slightly tugged on his ponytail before going into the living room.

"Yay, now we can finish play truth or dare!" Tenten said happily as Sasori walked down the stairs.

"Truth or dare?" Deidei asked as he popped his head out of the kitchen. "Can I play?"

"Sure," Ino said sitting down in her spot.

I sat down and we waited until Deidei came in the room so we can un-pause our game.

"So…Ino truth or dare?" I felt a smile crawling onto my face.

She gulped and I smiled even wider at her nervousness.

"Truth?" she asked unsure.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, wrong answer, but then again dare would have been the wrong answer as well. Hm…..what to ask….what to ask…I know!

"So…Ino who do you want to have your first kiss with?"

She mumbled something really softly and by the way her lips moved I knew she said Kiba.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't hear you. Can you please repeat that?" My smile grew wider as her face turned pink.

"Kiba," she mumbled again but this time a bit louder.

"Still can't hear you," I said in a sing-song voice.

"Kiba," she said louder this time while blushing. She looked down and played with her fingers just like how Hinata does when she is shy.

Everything was silent then until Naruto smacked Kiba on the back before giving him a thumbs up.

"Naruto, truth or dare," Sasuke said from beside me.

"I'm not afraid so I pick dare," Naruto said pumping a fist in the air.

"I dare you not to eat ramen for a week."

"WHAT!" Naruto yelled.

"You're the one who asked for a dare," Sasuke said smirking," and this is revenge."

Naruto slumped down on the ground crying anime tears. "It's ok Naruto-kun," Hinata said patting his head.

He sniffed and looked at her. "You really think so?" He asked grabbing her hands.

She nodded and he smiled his goofy smile before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I can go without ramen for one week, no sweat. I'll be fine as long as I have Hinata," Naruto said making the girl in his arms slightly blush.

"My turn," Tennie said scanning the circle for her next victim.

"Kiba, truth or dare?" Tennie asked as the background behind her turned black and the only light to be seen was the light from the flashlight she was holding under her chin, making her face look scary.

"D-dare," he said kinda afraid of Tennie.

"I dare you to…kiss Ino!" she said happily.

Ino turned pink and Kiba's cheeks were tinted with a light pink. "Um….ok," he said turning to face Ino.

"I think we should give them a little privacy," Tennie said smiling as she hopped up from the floor.

We all walked to the kitchen, leaving the two staring at each other in the living room.

I poked my head around the wall and Tennie did the same as we spied on the two. Soon enough everyone was poking their head out of the kitchen so they can see in the living room, well everyone except Neji, Itachi, Pein, and Sasuke who stood leaning against the countertop facing the living room.

"Do you think Ino would faint?" Naruto asked.

"I have no idea," Tennie said her eyes staying glued to the two.

I watched as Ino shyly played with her hands and Kiba rub the back of his neck. Kiba soon moved forward his head just centimeters from Ino's. I watched as she turned pink and then Kiba closed the space between them.

I did a mental victory dance as the two kept kissing. Everyone behind the wall was waiting to see what happened next and I watched as Kiba pulled back from the kiss.

His cheeks were tinted with a light shade of pink and Ino was the color of a strawberry.

"That was," Kiba started.

"Amazing," Ino finished shyly.

"It felt so,"

"Right?" she asked as she played with her fingers once more. He nodded at her and she gave him a small warm smile.

"So what happens next?" she asked watching him.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" he asked as the blush on his face darkened.

"Yes!" she answered quickly before blushing a darker shade of pink.

"Let's go back in there," Naruto said getting ready to go.

I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back. "No, you don't. You are staying right here. You are not going to ruin the moment for them."

I turned back to the two just in time to see them share another kiss. "Do you think we should call the others back in?" Ino asked. Kiba nodded in response before they got up, coming in our direction.

All of us darted from the entryway and found something to do. Tennie was pretending to look for chocolate, Hinata and Naruto quickly started up a conversation about ramen with Naruto doing most of the talking, and I opened the fridge going for something to drink.

Sasori and Deidara started playing rock, paper, scissors just as soon as they walked in.

"So how'd it go?" Naruto asked wiggling his eyebrows.

Ino blushed and Kiba just nodded in response.

"Great, now onto the other games!" Tennie cheered.

"But I didn't get to ask anything," Deidei whined.

"We can't just spend our time playing truth or dare, we have other stuff planned," she said grinning wickedly. I soon shared the same grin as her before going over to the box of pizza.

"Well, let's eat. The pizzas are gonna get cold if we leave them," I said as I grabbed a slice.

Everyone agreed and grabbed a slice. I took a seat at the table and opened my can of root beer. I think I am getting addicted to it because I keep drinking it. As I took a gulp the chair next to mine scrapped against the floor and I glanced over to see Sasuke taking a seat.

This reminds me of lunch when he always sit next to me especially when he sits between me and Tennie when there has a empty space on the other side of me. I try to ignore him the best I can as I continued to gulp down my root beer.

I finished my root beer soon enough and took the opportunity to throw my trash away as an excuse to move from sitting next to him.

"So what's next?" Naruto asked before burping really loud.

"Excuse me would have been nice to hear," Ino said.

"I bet you I can burp louder than you," Kiba stated.

"No you can't," Naruto said.

"Yes."

"No."

"YES."

"NO."

"Would you two cut it out? Everyone knows that I can burp the loudest," Deidei said.

"NO YOU CAN'T!" They both screamed.

Tennie shook her head at them. "Let's just have a burping contest," she said solving the problem.

"Any time you guys are ready ok," she said.

Naruto burped, then Kiba, and then Deidei summoned up a big burp.

"The winner is…." They all leaned forward ready to hear the answer.

Oh crap, now I feel like burping. And I did exactly that and did I mention that everyone in the room looked at me?

"Sakura!" Tennie said as she high-fived me.

"So not fair, Sakura-chan can burp louder than me," Naruto whined.

"It's ok Naruto," I said as I patted his head.

"Let's playyyyyyyy a game," Ino said.

"Why don't you guys go wait outside?" Tennie asked.

"Yeah, can you please wait outside?" Hinata asked.

We all shared similar smiles as we watched the boys walk out of the room. Deidei, Itachi, Sasori, and Pein stayed behind in the kitchen.

"You guys can join in anytime you want," I said as I opened the freezer to get the bags of ice.

Mwuahahahahaha….this is gonna be fun. I dashed upstairs and dug through the plastic bags on Ino's bed, finding the sling shots. I also grabbed the balloons before heading downstairs.

"Let's see Tennie gets the green slingshot, I get my red one, Ino you get the yellow one, and Hinata you get the pink one," I said handing them to each girl.

"So who wants to make sure the guys doesn't come inside while we are preparing?" Ino asked grabbing the balloons out of my hands.

"I'll do it," Deidei said before dashing outside.

I grabbed a few of the balloons and opened the faucet in the kitchen. Tennie went to the bathroom down the hall, Ino went to her bathroom, and Hinata went to Deidei's bathroom to fill up the balloons. I finished in about five minutes and looked at my ammunition of different colored balloons.

"Sasori does Deidei have water guns?" I asked innocently.

"Yes," he said.

"Can you get them?" I asked as I grabbed a bag of ice.

"Fine," he said exiting the room to go find them.

He returned later with about two of them. I grabbed one and filled it with water and crushed ice making the water extremely cold. Heehee, I love this. The girls met up with me and I placed the water gun in my pocket before grabbing a few things.

Before the boys came we actually made little bags and things to hold our water balloons. I strapped the box like bag on my bag and filled it to the brim with water balloons. The bottom of it that is closest to my hand has a hole big enough to pull out the balloon so that I can fire it.

I also made a belt with compartments that are quite big to hold my ice chunks. I emptied the ice into the compartments, strapped it on me, and shoved my slingshot in my pocket.

"I'm set," I said smiling wickedly.

"So am I," Tennie said.

"Same here," Hinata and Ino repeated.

"Have fun," Sasori said to us before throwing the house key to Ino.

She looked at him questionably with an eyebrow raised.

"We are locking you guys out, but we'll wait till Deidara's inside," he said.

"Or you could just leave him out there," Ino suggested before we walked to the door.

We all stepped out of the house and onto the lawn of the backyard, eyeing the boys. Deidara who saw us was grinning happily while walking towards the back door.

Our focus didn't shift as Deidara moved out of our line of vision. I kept my eyes glued on Sasuke and Naruto, making them my targets of the night.

"What are we gonna do now? And what are you guys wearing on your back?" Naruto's loud voice asked.

None of us answered him, but the smiles on our faces were enough to convince him that something interesting was going to happen. I didn't hear the opening or the closing of the backdoor so I still think that Deidara's outside.

"C'mon guys let me in!" was what I suddenly heard before I heard my brother's muffled laugh.

"Just give him the key," I muttered to Ino before reaching for a water balloon.

"Alright," she agreed before tossing him the keys. Once he unlocked the door he threw the small gold object back at us and rushed inside, locking the door behind him.

"Now, let's have some fun," I said.

I grabbed a water balloon and my slingshot, aiming the colored object directly at Naruto.

SPLASH!

"Hey!" he yelled out.

I laughed and ran away while he tried to tackle me and just as he was about to leap onto me a water balloon smacked him right in his face. I laughed once again and turned to the direction in which the object came from.

"Good job Hinata!" I said before running once again.

I needed a place where I can be hidden but be able to target the boys so as I ran I looked around the yard for hiding places. Behind the bush? Nah, not good enough, they'll easily find me there. On the side of the house? That might work, but I wouldn't be able to fire at them if they are on the other side of the yard.

As I was looking I pulled out a water balloon and got ready to fire. I scanned the area for Sasuke and quickly located him.

FIRE! It was soaring towards him and hit him directly in the face and I have to admit when he got caught off-guard it was funny. I noticed him looking at me while I was laughing and I dashed off.

I think it's time for a little ice, heehee. I opened one of the compartments and picked up the cold, solid substance. I fired it and hit Naruto in the back of the head.

"Sakura-chan what was that?" He asked loudly rubbing the back of his head.

"Ice," I simply replied while smiling.

"You hit me with ice? You're mean," he said pouting.

"You know you love me," I said before skipping off.

I watched as Tenten fired balloon after balloon at Neji who got hit a few times. Hinata was helping Ino with hitting Kiba and Naruto and Sasuke were seeking shelter from the flying objects.

I looked around the area once more and decided that hiding in the tree that Naruto and Ino was in before was a good enough spot. I fired at Naruto and Sasuke while running towards the tree, making them take cover so that they wouldn't see where I disappeared to.

This is fun, heehee. I grabbed a branch and pulled myself up into the tree, taking cover by hiding in the leaves. I'm like a ninja, acting all sneaky and stuff. I think some of Naruto's habits are rubbing off on me.

I sat quietly and watched the commotion from where I was. Time to attack, heehee. I started firing water balloons everywhere, hitting Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Kiba, Tenten, and even Ino and Hinata. Whoopsies, I didn't mean to hit them, but oh well.

The boys looked in confusion as they tried to figure out where the balloons were coming from while the girls kept shooting at them not caring if I accidentally hit them.

Soon I ran out of balloon ammo and I switched to my chunks of ice which had stayed frozen in the little compartment. I took aim and hit Naruto who looked around and yelled a loud, "HEY!"

As I was firing, I noticed that Sasuke was missing from the group of targets. Where'd he go? I scanned the area and he was nowhere to be found. That's strange because he was there like two minutes ago.

"Looking for me?" A voice asked and I looked behind me quickly to see him standing on the branch behind me, leaning against the tree trunk.

"Hi Sasuke," I said as my free hand started to move really slowly to my right pocket. "How did you find me?"

"It was quite easy," he began as my hand reached inside my pocket.

"I just waited and looked for the direction that the objects were coming from. Once I knew where your friends objects came from, I just focused on finding yours," he explained too distracted to even notice my hand in my pocket.

I quickly pulled out my water gun and pulled the trigger, shooting ice cold water at his face. I jumped out the tree while he was wiping the water off his face and I dashed to where Tennie was.

"This is fun," she said to be as she reached for her last water balloon.

"Yeah," I agreed as I watched Sasuke coming down from the tree. "You still have ice?" I asked my eyes now on her.

"Yeah, a bit, but I did use quite a few on Naruto and Neji," she said.

I nodded and was about to fire some more ice chunks but I shrieked as I got hit with cold water. I turned around and spotted Naruto and Sasuke by the garden house and it was aimed directly at me.

Instead of them having to seek shelter from me, I was the one seeking shelter from them. It looks like this game has been twisted slightly. I ran back to the tree that I was just in and climbed up high hiding behind branches and leaves.

If I am correct the water won't be able to reach me at this distance. I watched as Naruto fired the water once more and I was right when I saw that the water landed a few feet away from the tree trunk.

I slumped against the trunk of the tree and watched as the girls searched for shelter. Hinata hid behind the bushes near the door and Tennie was running around aiming ice at the guys. Ino just ran around before jumping on Kiba's back.

"Sayonara suckers!" Naruto yelled firing water from the house at everyone.

I pulled out my last ice chunk and aimed it at his head.

"OUCH!" he yelled as he rubbed his forehead. He dropped the hose and sat on the ground pouting. I came down from the tree and walked towards him. Hinata came out from her hiding place and walked towards Naruto as well.

"Hinata-chan, I got a boo-boo," he said like a little kid while pointing at his forehead. "Can you kiss it better?" he asked her. She blushed and nodded before planting a kiss on his forehead where the ice hit him.

"You know I love you," I said patting his head.

"I'm soaked," Ino said as Kiba came towards us.

"We're all soaked," Tenten pointed out.

"Well, let get changed," she said as she got off of Kiba's back.

As we were walking towards the back door I took a look at the yard which was covered in colorful balloon pieces and saw the mess we did. I took off my shoes before going into the house and I placed them by the door. I'm lucky that I walked with two pairs.

"You guys brought extra clothes right?" Ino asked as we walked up the steps.

"Yep," Kiba said as he walked towards his bag.

XxXxXxX

After we got cleaned up we came back down to the living room where the boys were. Sasori and his friends were in Deidei's room playing a game on the PS3 and I could hear the sounds from here.

I settled down on one of the many couches getting comfortable before looking at Ino who was thinking.

"How about we watch some movies?" she asked.

Sasuke sat down next to me as Ino went to the cabinet where they kept all the movies. I leaned back on the couch and grabbed my blanket and pillow from their place on the carpet.

I snuggled into my blanket as I watched the movie. While the not so eventful part of the movie played I looked around the room and saw Ino and Kiba cuddling and Naruto holding Hinata like a teddy bear to his side.

I started to think about what it would be like if Sasuke and I were together. Would we be snuggling? I mentally sighed and looked at Tennie and Neji who sat very close to one another.

I brushed my bangs out of my face and laid my head on my pillow, turning my attention back to the movie. I stared boredly at the TV for the rest of the movie not really paying that much attention to it. When it finished I asked anyone if they wanted popcorn while Ino was looking for the next movie, but Naruto and Hinata was the only ones who said yes to my question.

I got out from under my comfortable blanket and made my way to the kitchen. I sighed as I put the popcorn in the microwave. I'm happy for them because they finally got together with the people they like, but I'm just wondering really about me.

Seeing them together makes me think of Sasuke and me. I mean I know I like him and Ino tells me that he likes me, but I am not so sure that he does. I mean he does sit by me a lot and kind of comes around by me, but that's kind of what friends do.

The microwave beeped signaling that the popcorn was done and I took out a bowl and opened the bag, emptying the buttery snack. I grabbed it and went back in the living room handing it to Hinata and Naruto before retreating to the kitchen to get myself some.

As I placed another bag in the microwave someone walked into the kitchen. I didn't need to turn around to know who it is because I could just feel that gaze on my back again, but I did anyway.

"Hey Sasuke," I said while moving towards the fridge.

"Hn," he said as he watched me grab a bottle of water.

I leaned against the kitchen counter and took a gulp of water, my eyes staying glued to the floor in the process. The microwave beeped and I went to get the popcorn for me. I opened the cupboard above me and tried reaching for one of the many bowls, but it was too far for my hands to reach.

I mentally sighed and stopped stretching, leaning on the counter in front of me. All the while, Sasuke's eyes were still watching and soon enough I felt him behind me, reaching up into the cupboard to get the bowl.

"Thanks," I said when he handed it to me.

He nodded and watched as I emptied the snack into the red bowl.

"Do you need something?" I asked. I mean he did come into the kitchen but all he did was watch me and stand around.

He walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water before heading back to the living room. I soon followed and snuggled back into my blanket, the popcorn resting in my lap.

I munched my popcorn as I stared at the TV screen, once again not really paying attention to the movie. I wasn't really hungry but it was something to do. As I took a sip of my water, I glanced at Sasuke and noticed that his water bottle has barely been touched.

Does this mean he only came in the kitchen because he wanted to be by me? Maybe I shouldn't think that, I mean maybe he just wanted to get some water before the movie that way he doesn't leave during the movie.

I still couldn't shake the thoughts of Sasuke out of my head. I still couldn't stop feeling a tad bit sad. Maybe I might be the last one out of the bunch who gets a boy. I continued eating my popcorn while pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind, trying not to focus on them.

Before I knew it the movie was done and Ino was already up.

"Now it's time for us to go to sleep!" she said excitedly and my sad mood turned a little bit brighter as I remembered the cans of whip cream hiding in the fridge.

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**Me: So I hope that you liked it! (= Please review! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: I am really happy with the reviews I got from you guys! *hands out cookies* I'm really happy that you all enjoyed it. I smiled as I read each one!**

**Utopian Moon****: You asked why Pain is Naruto's brother. I just felt like making them brothers. And they do look like they can be related to each other. =)**

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Normal POV

It was past midnight and the girls were still up, laying quietly on their respective mattresses that were sprawled all over the floor in the living room. They were waiting for the right time to make their move and they stayed up late just to make sure that the boys were fast asleep and not even the sound of a marble dropping would wake them up. When the clock struck three Sakura looked over at Ino who nodded at her and the other girls indicating that it was time.

They quietly got up and gently tip-toed around the guys, heading into the kitchen where they retrieved the cans of whip cream. Each girl made their way back to the living room except for Sakura who was looking for the cherries that Ino said was in the fridge.

Although she still felt sad the whip cream in her hand made her smile at what she was about to do. She soon found the cherries and joined the girls in the living room. Each girl made their way silently to their target, Sasuke being Sakura's.

She inwardly cooed at how peaceful and cute he looked when he was asleep. _'Too bad he won't look like that when I'm done.' _She shook the whip cream can up and down before kneeling beside his mattress.

She let the whip cream come out and go on his chin, but the angle she was at proved to be a disadvantage in her art work. She easily sat on his stomach and a blush rose to her face. She started the process of putting whip cream all over him again and when she was done she placed a cherry on the tip of his nose. A giggle escaped her mouth and she took a quick picture of him.

XxX

Sasuke was asleep when he suddenly felt a light weight on his stomach and something cold on his face. He felt the cold substance on the tip of his nose and then he heard a giggle from the object that was above him on his stomach.

'_That sounds a lot like Sakura.'_ He cracked one eye opened and noticed that it indeed was Sakura that was on his stomach, holding a camera in one hand and a can of whip cream in the other. She was too busy smiling at the camera's screen to notice that Sasuke was awake, so when he flipped their positions she let out a squeak of surprise.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a low voice. Sakura laughed sheepishly while looking up at Sasuke.

The cherry on his nose was starting to slide off and it dropped right on Sakura's neck, making Sasuke look from her face to her neck. The cold feeling on his face reminded Sasuke that he had whip cream on his face and he took his hand and started putting it on Sakura's face.

She squealed slightly when the cold substance touched her skin and she tried wiggling away from Sasuke's hand that had the substance.

"So what were you doing?" he asked again his face now only a few centimeters away from hers.

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious," she said trying not to stammer at how close they were.

"Hn," Sasuke said as the tip of his nose now touched hers.

Sakura's eyes stared into Sasuke's and her heart beat increased. A blush was forming on her cheeks and she did her best to hide it, hoping that Sasuke didn't see it.

"WHAT IS THIS?" Naruto yelled causing the two to come out of their little world.

Sasuke quickly got off of Sakura and Sakura got up trying to dust the imaginary dust from on her clothes. The two blushed as they recalled what happened just a few seconds ago and they avoided looking at each other.

"Seriously! What is going on?" Naruto asked causing the two to focus their attention on him. The other sleeping boys awoke to Naruto's loud voice and noticed the whip cream all over their faces.

"Why am I in handcuffs?" he asked looking around. Hinata giggled softly and Naruto looked at her.

"You did this?" he asked.

She nodded and giggled some more while going behind of him.

"You, Naruto Uzumaki, are under arrest," she whispered mischievously in his ear. Her statement caused a blush to appear on Naruto's face and he willingly went along with her, liking the mischievous side of Hinata.

Sakura looked at the exchange and smiled suggestively at Hinata who blushed slightly in return.

"They've taken Naruto! And attacked us!" Kiba exclaimed pointing specifically at Ino.

"Let's get them!" he suggested before he ran after Ino who dashed off into the kitchen.

"Retreat!" Tenten yelled noticing the look in both Neji's and Sasuke's eyes. The girls bolted from the room, each dragging Naruto by his feet to Ino's room. Once they dragged Naruto's head in, they slammed the door shut and leaned their backs on it to prevent the boys from coming in.

"Oh crap, Ino's down there alone," Sakura said dropping Naruto's legs.

"Oh freaking pancakes," Tenten said leaning her head against the door.

"No worries, well not yet at least," Hinata said pulling out her phone.

_Ring Ring Ri-_

"Hello," Ino breathlessly said into the phone.

"Where are you?" Hinata asked.

"In the backyard trying to move away from three boys," Ino said.

Hinata motioned for Sakura to look out the window and she saw Ino standing there with the three boys standing a few feet away.

"Tell her to run to the tree, go around the shed, come into the house, and up to her room," Sakura instructed.

Hinata nodded and gave Ino the instructions before hanging up. Both girls watched as Ino dashed across the lawn, run to the tree, go around the shed, and through the back door.

Fast foot steps could be heard approaching the room and Tenten quickly opened the door for Ino who collapsed on the floor. The door was closed rapidly and Sakura and Tenten were once again leaning against it.

"Do I really have to be taken captive?" Naruto asked looking up at the girls from his sitting position on the floor.

Hinata bended down next to him and looked him straight in the eye. "Yes," was her simply answer before she pecked him on the lips. He pouted at her and looked at her with big puppy dog eyes.

"What's the matter?" she asked running her fingers through his sun kissed hair.

"I'm gonna be lonely in here," he said before whispering, "and that was a short kiss."

Sakura who heard his whisper rolled her eyes at him before looking at Ino who lay breathlessly on the floor.

"No worries, we still have to take one more person captive," Tenten said smiling wickedly.

"All we have to do is figure out which one," Ino said from her position on the floor.

"I think either Kiba or Sasuke," Naruto said smiling goofily.

"And why those two?" Sakura questioned as she put her ear to the door to listen for the boys.

"Because I just think those two would be better. I mean Neji probably would be hard to get and if you do get him, he'll come quietly," Naruto said with a thinking face on.

"Sasuke would be difficult to get also and he will be quiet on his way up," Tenten said.

"I think we shouldn't take Kiba," Hinata said.

Sakura nodded her head in agreement.

"Why not?" Naruto asked them.

"Because if we take Kiba and leave Sasuke and Neji they would probably just leave you guys up here," Sakura explained.

"And if we take Kiba we leave two geniuses to figure out a plan," Tenten added.

"Shhh!" Sakura silenced them as she heard a noise.

Soft footsteps could be heard approaching the door and two shadows could be seen underneath the door.

'_Two? It's supposed to be three.'_ Sakura thought to herself. She turned to look at Hinata and mouthed, '_do something so they know we are not on to them.'_

Hinata nodded and turned to Naruto, smiling wickedly. "Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked nervously.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, this won't hurt," she said as she motioned Ino over.

"AHHHH!" Naruto yelled.

Sakura and Tenten heard the footsteps fading away fast and they smiled at the now covered in glitter Naruto whose hair was brushed and spiked.

"Did you have to put the ribbons in my hair?" he questioned.

"Yes," Ino said as she tied one last ribbon to one of his spikes.

"Aw how cute," Sakura cooed bending down next to Naruto.

"It's not cute, it's girly," he said wishing that he could cross his arms over his chest while he pouted.

"Take a picture," Ino ordered pointing at Sakura.

"As you wish," Sakura said pulling out her cell phone.

"Noooo!" Naruto protested moving around from his position on the ground, trying to squirm away from the camera's lens.

XxXxX

Sasuke and Neji arrived back in the living room and took a seat on the couch in front of Kiba.

"Dude, I heard Naruto scream from here," he said as he momentarily looked up at the ceiling feeling nervous and scared.

"What are we gonna do?" he asked as he looked back at the two in front of him.

Sasuke shrugged and settled himself on the couch. Neji mimicked Sasuke's actions and got comfortable while Kiba looked nervous.

"We have to do something," he stated as he remembered all the things that happened to them tonight.

"They kept pulling jokes on us all night," Kiba said his nervousness gone. He had on a thinking face and his mind was going through the events that happened just tonight.

"What do you suggest we do," came Sasuke's smooth voice.

"I think we should pick them off one by one," Kiba said smiling at his idea.

Picking them off one by one was a good idea, but the girls knew better than to be alone at this moment. They worked in groups; each girl had a partner with her at all times.

"You could try," came Tenten's voice from the staircase before she lunged at them.

Kiba fell back and scrambled to get up before he jumped over the coffee table and ran into the kitchen. Ino took off after him, confident that she could handle him while Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata lunged after Neji and Sasuke.

Tenten alone ran after Neji who dodged her and came behind her trapping her with his hands.

"What are you gonna do now?" he whispered in her ear causing an involuntary shiver to run down her spine.

"This," she said as she stomped on his foot. Neji resisted the urge to hiss and he grabbed his foot while trying to avoid Tenten which only caused him to land as ungracefully as he could on the floor.

Tenten stared down at Neji who was sprawled out on the floor and started laughing so much that her sides hurt. Neji who stared up at her felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

Sakura who was too busy chasing down Sasuke with Hinata couldn't stop and stare and laugh like she wanted to. She saw everything that happened and she wanted to do the same thing that Tenten was doing now, laughing her ass off; but she couldn't because if she did Sasuke might have the opportunity to turn the tables on her and she didn't want that.

Tenten who managed to recover from her laughing fit wiped the invisible tears from her eyes before stooping down to Neji's level to handcuff him. Once the task was done, she took a piece of cloth and tied his mouth with it, making sure that Neji's voice couldn't be heard.

She then dragged him up the stairs with him wincing every time she got him up another step, and into Ino's room where she opened the closet door and dragged him inside.

Naruto who was just lying there quietly with a cloth around his mouth started to squirm when he saw Tenten open the door. He tried to talk but the cloth made everything he said muffled and he just gave up before watching the girls' new captive.

"Don't worry we won't be too long," Tenten said smiling sweetly before closing the door on them.

When she came back downstairs she was met with a funny sight. Hinata was grabbing onto Sasuke's legs and Sakura was on his back trying to get a piece of cloth over his eyes. He was struggling with Sakura and trying to kick Hinata off at the same time but it didn't work.

To Tenten the sight was hilarious and if she didn't have the self control she had at the moment she would have busted out laughing at the scene and eventually end up on the floor with tears in her eyes.

Knowing that this didn't happen often, she dashed up the stairs and grabbed Ino's small, purple camcorder to record the scene happening downstairs.

XxXxX

Kiba was running away from his girlfriend and when he looked behind him, he saw her ready to pounce on him. He sped up faster and she did the same, staying at least two feet away from him.

Ino saw Kiba speeding up and she did the same, staying at a distance of two feet. She knew that he was merely an arm's length away if she tried to grab his shirt, so she decided to tackle him.

The tackle sent both of them tumbling to the ground with Kiba on top of Ino. Ino looked up and blushed a nice shade of pink while Kiba stared down at her.

"It looks like I have you instead," he said his head moving closer to hers.

"I bet you like that, eh?" she asked as her arms wrapped around Kiba's neck.

"Mhmm," he said before he kissed her. Ino felt like she was on cloud nine at the moment and even though she knew she was supposed to take Kiba captive she didn't care. She was enjoying the moment and it felt good.

When Kiba pulled back Ino sighed in complete happiness. She looked at him and he stared back down at her smiling his goofy grin.

"So do I have to be captured?" he asked.

"Let me think," Ino said a finger resting on her bottom lip, "yep."

"I don't think I wanna be captured," he stated.

"You don't want me to capture you?" Ino asked seductively.

"I…uh..um..do I have to be captured?" he said stammering asking his same question again.

"Oh, so I can capture you," she said smiling mischievously.

"Hey guys!" Tenten yelled catching their attentions.

"Ino its time to retreat." Tenten then pointed to the camcorder in her hand and motioned for Ino to hurry up.

"Gotta go love," Ino said before quickly getting out from under Kiba.

She walked over to Tenten and together both of them headed up to Ino's room where their captives awaited them in the closet.

They met with Sakura and Hinata in the room and all of them proceeded to drag Neji and Naruto out of the closet. Naruto was still a glittery mess and Neji was glaring at a smiling Tenten who decided to record the two boys on the floor.

"So what are we gonna do with Neji?" Sakura asked staring down at the glaring boy.

"I have an idea," Hinata said motioning the girls over to her.

They all huddled in a group around Hinata who told them the idea that was on her mind and every once in a while a head popped up out of the group to stare and Neji.

"It's simple and yet awesome," Ino stated as she walked into her bathroom to get a few things.

The camcorder that was in Tenten's hands was now in Sakura's possession and the digital camera that was in Ino's dresser drawer were now in the hands of Hinata.

Ino returned to her room and she exchanged the supplies that she had with Hinata for the camera.

"Don't worry nii-san," Hinata said smiling as she and Tenten approached him.

He glared at them with a look that said don't-you-even-dare. They ignored the glare and began their work with Ino snapping pictures here and there and Sakura recording the whole thing while Naruto could only watch as his friend ended up the same way as him or worse.

Stepping back from there work, Tenten and Hinata high-fived each other. Naruto was right about the worse thing. Neji's hair was open with glitter in it and a few ribbons were in his hair. He wore eyeliner, which Naruto had to note made him look a bit emo, and Tenten forced her lipgloss on him.

Sakura turned off the camcorder and walked over to the two girls who were looking down at the still glaring Neji. If his glare was scary before, his glare now would make you want to piss your pants, but the girls just brushed it off.

The girls were laughing a bit as they looked at the pictures Ino took, but they soon shut up as they heard a yell coming down the hallway.

"ATTACK!" It was Kiba's voice and before they knew it the door was slammed into.

They heard Sasuke's muffled voice say idiot, before Kiba's voice complained about the bump he got on his head from falling flat on the floor. The door knob jiggled and the girls took immediate action and dragged the guys to the bed where they shoved them under, the bedspread covering the boys from being seen from the side of the bed.

Kiba cursed as he couldn't get the door open and the girls shook their head at him and his actions.

XxXxX

"Move idiot," Sasuke muttered shoving Kiba aside.

Sasuke searched his pockets and pulled out his wallet and took out a card he had in his wallet.

"What are you gonna do with that?" Kiba asked.

Ignoring him, Sasuke tried to open the door with it just like Itachi showed him when he was younger. He was successful when the door opened slightly and he pushed the card in his pocket before pushing open the door wider.

XxXxX

"Oh shit," Sakura muttered when she saw the door open a crack.

"What are you-," the words died in Ino's mouth as turned to the direction that Sakura was looking.

"Damn it," she muttered.

The girls could only stand there and watch as the door was pushed open by Sasuke. Muffled noises from under the bed tore the girls' attention away from Sasuke and Sakura wished at the moment that Naruto would shut his big pie hole because he just let the two boys that were staring at them know where he was.

Sasuke was staring at the same thing Sakura was staring at, the bed; and he could hear the muffled noises of his idiot best friend from underneath. He rolled his eyes and stepped into the room, making Sakura turn her gaze back on him. He ignored it and tried to reach the bed, but it wasn't gonna happen because Sakura placed herself in between him and the bed.

Kiba also tried to make his way to the bed, avoiding Tenten and swerving around Hinata only to come face-to-face with his girlfriend.

"Now what are you going to do, love?" Ino asked arms crossed.

Kiba simply picked her up and threw her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. "This isn't exactly comfortable," Ino said blowing a strand of loose hair out of her face.

Kiba then walked towards the bed but Tenten stopped him this time. He sighed and looked back at Sasuke who was pretty busy because Sakura was once again on his back and Hinata was again holding onto his feet.

Kiba did the same thing he did to Ino to Tenten and he then walked the remainder of the way to the bed.

"Sup," Tenten said to Ino.

"Just hanging," was her reply.

Kiba gently threw each girl on the bed, making sure not to hurt either one because he didn't want to make his girlfriend fall off the bed even though the scene is his head made him think it would be quite hilarious and he would rather not make Tenten fall off the bed either because Neji would probably kick his ass even though he thought it would be funny if both girls bounced off the bed and landed on the floor. He quickly pulled the two squirming boys out from under the bed and dragged them as far as he could get before the girls came after him.

Sasuke had managed to get Hinata off and was working on trying to take Sakura off his back and after many attempts he finally managed to get her off and throw her softly on the bed.

"Let's get out of here," Kiba said before hurriedly dragging Naruto and Neji out of the room.

Sasuke followed soon after, leaving the door open on his way out. "Well, I think it's time we call a truce and get some sleep," Ino said happily before skipping into her closet.

Tenten stared at her weirdly, wondering why she skipped into her closet when she just stated that they should make a truce with the guys who were downstairs. Ino came back out of the closet with a white shirt and she reached behind her small desk to pull out a stick.

"Where'd you get the stick?" Tenten asked wondering how the hell a stick ended up in Ino's room. "You know what, nevermind," she said shaking her head, thinking it would be better if she didn't know.

"Now let's go make peace," Ino said happily while linking her hands with Hinata who was pulled out the door once Ino hooked her hands in Hinata's.

Sakura watched her hyper best friend pull her quiet best friend out the door and just yawned.

"Hey Tennie, what's the time?"

"It's 3:48 in the morning," Tenten said receiving a nod and yawn from Sakura.

"Let's go, shall we," Sakura said walking out the door. Tenten caught up to her and they made their way to where Hinata and Ino was which was by the wall of the stairs.

"Why are you two just standing here?" Sakura questioned.

"Because we are gonna throw the truce flag thingy down there," Ino stated peeking out from behind the wall.

"Why don't you just go down there and show them," Sakura suggested staring at her friend with a look that said seriously-Ino-are-you-going-a-lil-loco-because-you-didn't-get-to-go-to-sleep.

"Because they will probably jump at us thinking that we are attacking again," she said.

"Well, they might not think that if you come out waving the flag, piggy," Sakura said.

"Whatever forehead," Ino said before doing what Sakura said.

She walked down the stairs and waved the flag overhead as the boys watched. "I call a truce," she said putting the flag down.

"Do you accept?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah," Naruto said quickly. Kiba nodded in agreement and Sasuke and Neji soon agreed too.

"Well, now that that's settled, Imma go sleep," Sakura muttered before dropping down on her mattress in the living room.

In five minutes the pink haired girl was fast asleep and everyone decided they should do the same so they all got on their respective mattresses and waited for sleep to overtake them.

XxXxX

Sasori came down the stairs the next day and chuckled at the sight of his sister. Her hair was messy and her basketball shorts rode up to above her knees, her hand was covering her eyes and one of her feet were resting on top of Naruto's stomach.

He went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water before coming back into the living room. The place wasn't messy but he did notice a white shirt tied to a stick. While he finished off his water, his friends came down the stairs and paused to look at the sleeping teens on the mattresses.

Deidara looked at his sister and started laughing at her. Her hair was extremely messy, she was slightly drooling, and she was cuddling Kiba like a teddy bear.

Sasori just shook his head and walked over to his sister. "Wake up," he said shaking her gently.

"No," she mumbled as she turned away from him and kicking Naruto by mistake.

"C'mon, it's time to go," he said poking her side.

"No," she mumbled again and smacked him with her pillow.

"Hahaha," came Deidara's voice.

"Why don't you try?" he suggested moving out of the way.

"Cherry-chan, wake up," Deidara said poking her.

"Nooooo," she whined smacking him with her pillow.

"It's no use, just leave her," Sasori said as he sat down on a couch.

"Fine, we'll wake the others," Deidara said happily.

He shook his sister and her cuddle toy awake before waking up Naruto and Hinata. Neji and Sasuke woke up with one poke and they each gave Deidara a glare for poking them awake. The next person to wake up was Tenten who proved to be just as difficult to wake up as Sakura.

"Come on Ten-chan, wakie wakie," Deidara said poking her.

"Poke me again and I'll use a kunai to remove your eyes," she mumbled.

"Ehehehe, maybe we should leave Tenten alone," Deidara said backing away slowing from the weapon obsessed girl.

"I could wake her up," Naruto said before crouching next to the sleeping girl.

"Tenten wake up!" he sort of yelled. His air supply was cut off as Tenten grabbed him by the neck.

"H-h..help," Naruto breathed out. Hinata rushed to help him get out of Tenten's hold. Once away from Tenten, he breathed in gulps of air and hid behind Hinata.

"Hn." Everyone watched as Neji approached her. He leaned down to her ear and whispered something before moving away. Tenten's eyes soon fluttered open and she got up and yawned while rubbing her eyes.

"Dude, what did you say?" Naruto asked in amazement.

"Hn," he said and he stood to the side.

"So the only one left is Sakura," Deidara said.

"I'm not waking her up. She can be scary," Naruto said as he remembered the last time he woke her up. They were just fourteen and she was sleeping and didn't want to wake up so he decided to try to wake her up. She smacked him in her sleep every time he tried, and when he did wake her up she glared at him for poking her hard before punching him. As he remembered the punch he shuddered. It sent him knocking into her wooden desk on the other side of the room. She looked freakishly scary with her glare.

"Just leave her," Sasori said.

"Okay," Deidara said cheerfully before poking his small little Cherry-chan on the forehead. She pouted in her sleep and swatted his hand away which made him chuckle.

"Can you get me her stuff?" Sasori asked turning to Ino.

She nodded and went to get Sakura's things from her room. She returned ten minutes later with everything that Sakura brought over for the sleepover.

Sasori took his sister's bag and nodded his head in thanks before standing up and walking to the front door.

"I'll get Cherry-chan," Deidara said bending down to pick her up bridal style but before he could even touch her, he felt someone glaring a hole in the back of his head. He turned slightly and saw Sasuke glaring at him and he backed away holding his hands up in front of him.

"Ehehehe, maybe someone else could pick her up," he said making sure to stay out of Sasuke's way.

Sasuke wordlessly walked to where Sakura was and picked her up bridal style before following Sasori out the door.

"Ne, Itachi, your brother can be scary," Deidara said watching as Sasuke walked away with Sakura in his arms.

Itachi just smirked at his younger brother's actions before glancing at Deidara who was staring out the door at Sasuke.

XxX

Sasuke was quite amused when Sakura was smacking people with pillows in her sleep and he found it cute when she pouted, but when it was time to take her home and he saw Deidara going to pick her up, he glared at him.

He knew that Deidara was like a brother to Sakura, but he couldn't help it if he felt jealous that someone was going to pick up _his_, yes his, Sakura. He wanted to touch her, to pick her up and carry her. He glared as he saw the boy bend down next to her, reaching his arms out to touch her. His glare automatically doubled and he watched as Deidara turned to him slowly. Deidara backed off as soon as he saw the glare in Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke was satisfied that Deidara moved away from _his _Sakura and as soon as Deidara suggested that someone else could pick her up, he wasted no time in going over to her.

He picked her up gently and followed her brother out the door and towards Sasori's car in the garage. While he was carrying her, he looked down at her peaceful face and allowed a small smile to appear on his lips. To him she looked like an angel and his smile got a tad bit bigger when she snuggled into him.

"Just put her in the front seat," Sasori said as he put her stuff in the car.

Sasuke nodded and placed her in the passenger seat of the car. After buckling her up he brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

He looked up and saw Sasori get into the car and he looked one more time at Sakura.

"You can kiss her….if you want to," Sasori said as he watched Sasuke. "Well, not on the lips," he added as an afterthought, "she should be awake if you're going to do that."

Sasuke blushed slightly and stared down at Sakura.

"C'mon, I know you like her," Sasori said as he stared out the window.

Sasuke gently kissed Sakura on the forehead and pulled back to smile at her. After nodding a goodbye to Sasori, he watched as the car pulled out of the driveway and he walked back into the house.

* * *

**Me: I hope it was good and please leave reviews. Reviews make me happy. =) **

**So I had some really good pancakes the other day when I went to iHop. They were chocolate with chocolate chips on top, powdered sugar, and whip cream. Heehee. =) **


	9. Chapter 9

**Me: Thanks for the reviews guys! Last chapter got the most reviews! I'm so happy! Heehee *hands out cookies*!**

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_I see you and Sasuke were getting a little cozy at the sleepover, eh? _

I sighed, picking up my pencil to write a response. I have been getting these kinds of notes from Ino all week long and she hasn't stopped bugging me yet and it's been almost the same exact question in every note. I sighed once again as I looked at the paper once more. This has probably been the fifth note in just five minutes.

**'…**_**.'**_ I threw the paper back at her and paid attention to the math lesson which was slowly putting me to sleep.

In less than ten seconds the paper was once again back on my desk.

_What do you mean '….'? How can what happened be a '….'? C'mon you guys were getting really cozy and you guys almost kissed. _I could practically hear her shrieking at me.

_**Yeah, almost. Notice the word almost? As in it didn't happen. It could have happened but it didn't, and it might have happened but it didn't. So we can conclude that it didn't happen. **_The paper smacked her right on the head and she shot me a glare. I gave her an innocent smile and faced forward again, but this time I felt Sasuke's eyes on me.

I tried ignoring the way I was feeling, but it didn't work. I was hit in the face by the note and Ino gave me a suggestive smile before winking. I rolled my eyes and ignored the feeling of Sasuke's eyes on me while opening the note.

_It __would__ have happened if that baka didn't interrupt you two. I mean you were so damn close too. Hmmm….did you ask Sasori how you got in the car? Also, remind me to beat up Naruto later, kk? _

_**Should I have asked him how I got in the car? Didn't he carry me to the car? And why should I remind you? He kinda saved me from an awkward situation. **_

_Nope, darling. Your knight in shining armor, Mr. Sasuke Uchiha carried you to the car. BRIDAL STYLE! Damn, you should have seen the way he glared at my brother for almost picking you up. Oh yeah, Sasuke's watching you! And the awkwardness wouldn't have lasted long. And you need to remind me dammit! He deserves to be beaten up!_

I blushed as I read the first few sentences. Sasuke carried me to Sasori's car? Damn, how am I supposed to look at him now without blushing.

_**I know he's watching me because I could always feel it. And he did? And how are you so sure it wouldn't have lasted long? Stuff like that could last weeks. And Naruto saved me from awkwardness so I will not remind you. I should thank him though. **_

_He not only carried you! Me, being me, decided to look out the window and you wanna know what I saw? And I would have made it not last weeks. And I shall say it again, he deserves to be beaten. _

_**I'm afraid to ask what you saw, but fine what did you see? And whatever.**_

_Sasuke kissed you! Well, not on the lips, but he still kissed you! And Sasori let him! It was so sweet how he kissed you on your forehead._

_**You sure that's what you saw? Maybe it was just you imagining things. You didn't get enough sleep, remember? Maybe that's why you thought that. It could have been a daydream or a hallucination.**_

_Nuh uh, I'm not the only one who saw. Ask Hinata or Tenten. I'm so serious; they were right next to me, peeking out the window. _

_**Now how I am supposed to look at him? I would blush the color of a tomato if our eyes meet. **_

_Naruto told me that Sasuke's favorite food is tomatoes. –insert sly smile and suggestive actions here- And you clearly know that. So, I have a feeling he wouldn't mind if your face is as red as one. Maybe he'll kiss you! _

_**Ino, you're so not helping! **_

_Do you want me to help? I mean I tried. Remember the whole lock Sasuke and Sakura in a closet thing? Yeah, that was me helping honey, but obviously it didn't work. _

_**Ino, how was that helping? It was so awkward in there. Me and him, stuck inside such a small closet. **_

_Exactly! Both of you were stuck in a closet! A SMALL CLOSET! Notice the word small? You two were supposed to start kissing and declaring your love for one another and forget about the small closet place because you would be hugging each other so tight it didn't matter! You guys weren't supposed to be awkward!_

_**Well, we were; well, I dunno if he felt awkward, but I did. **_

_You should've just jumped him. JUMPED HIM! And start kissing him! That's what you should have done! And you can still do that!_

_**I will not jump him Ino and don't start arguing by saying 'yes, you should.'**_

_You guys need help damn it! And I am the perfect one to help! So let me help?_

_**Help? What are you gonna do? Somehow get me and him soaked to the bone in water then lock us in a room that's really chilly with only one blanket and the only way for us to stay warm is to share body heat even though we would be in wet clothes?**_

_That's perfect! _

_**Oh gosh, no Ino, no no no no no. I want you to forget what I just wrote. Erase it from your mind. Make it go bye-bye. **_

_No can do sweetie. You just came up with a brilliant idea. I can't believe I didn't think up anything like this. _

_**INOOOOO! NO! Nuh-uh. **_

_C'mon Sakuraaaaaaaa, he loves youuuuuuu! _

_**How are you so sure?**_

_By the way he looks at you and the way he acts and Naruto told me he fricken loves you, a lot! And it's true. I see it with my own eyes! _

_**Maybe you should ask him…**_

_Fine, I will. Brb!_

_**NO! Ino, get your ass back here! INOOOOO! I didn't actually mean for you to ask himmm! Get back here you pig! INOOOOOO!**_

_Lalala, ignoring you at the moment. BRB!_

_**INOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! **_

XxXxX

_Hey Sasuke!_

**Hn.**

_You can't hn in a note, dammit! But that's not why I am here. _

"…"

_Dammit, what's with the "…"? That's the same thing Sakura wrote a while ago. Anyway, back to the topic. You and Sakura. Listen, I know you like her. Naruto knows you like her, heck even your mom probably knows you like her. So when are you gonna fricken tell her? When are you gonna tell Sakura you like her? Scratch that, love her. Yes, the L word. You love her and I know it, and you know it. You need to pull that stick that's up in your ass out and tell her. DO YOU HEAR ME? _

**Hn. **

_Sasuke, if you love her, you should tell her. I saw when you kissed her on the forehead and it wasn't only me, Tenten and Hinata saw. And you two were really close to kissing each other in my living room. I know that you are not really sociable and stuff, but I can tell that you really do love her and you don't want anything bad to happen to her. _

**Hn…**

_And I'm really glad that she has you. Even if you two are only friends at the moment, I'm glad. Just take care of her for me when I can't, ok? I love her like a sister and I know you don't wanna hurt her. I won't really bug you anymore on this subject because I think you should tell her in your own time. And I think I just changed my mind about wanting you to answer a question that both you and I know the answer to. But I am really glad that you love her and she has you, kk?_

**Hn…and I will always take care of her.**

XxXxX

_Kk, I'm back._

_**Sooo, how did the conversation that I didn't want you to make go?**_

_He 'hn-ed' after everything I said. _

_**He did? He didn't even say anything else?**_

_Not really, but just know that he will always be taking care of you, kk?_

_**Did he say that?**_

_Yeah, he did. _

_**Wow.**_

_Lol. Maybe I shouldn't beat Naruto up._

_**Good, you see it my way. **_

_Nope, I'm just being nice and don't really care right now. _

_**So what did you exactly say to him?**_

_Stuff._

_**What kind of stuff? You didn't tell him that I love him did you?**_

_No, I didn't. I wouldn't do that._

_**Phew. **_

_Lol. _

RINNGGGGGGGGG

"Class, I want you to do numbers one through thirty for homework and turn it in to me tomorrow right before I begin the lesson. Dismissed."

"Bleh, we have math homework," Ino complained as we walked through the crowded hallway.

"Be happy that our teacher doesn't always give us math homework," I said as I stuffed my books into my locker and pulled out my gym clothes.

"Yeah," she replied as Tenten and Hinata caught up to us.

"So how was math class?" Tenten asked.

"Interesting," replied Ino.

"Man, it sucks being on the other side of the class," Tenten complained before crossing her arms across her chest childishly.

"Well, I'm in the middle," Hinata stated quietly.

"Well, at least your not by yourselves," Ino said.

"Mhmm," I agreed as we walked towards the gym. "Hinata, you have Naruto sitting right in front of you and Tenten, Neji sits right next to you."

Ino pushed the gym doors open and we headed straight to the locker room to change. Thankfully, it was empty so we got out almost as fast as we got in, completely avoiding Karin and her little group of sluts.

We sat at our usual spot by the bleachers and waited for Anko who has a habit of showing up directly after the last student arrives. It's kinda weird because it's like she knows when all of us are in the gym. I wonder if she has cameras installed in here or something.

"All right maggots are you ready for today's class?" came Anko's booming voice.

Hmmm…I didn't even notice when she came in.

"Today we will be playing soccer, boys against girls," she said with a big, amusing smile on her face.

"But that's not fair," whined Karin. Please, would you just shut up? Sheesh.

I watched as Anko rolled her eyes at Karin, but her bright mood was still there and not at all affected by the whiny slut. "I don't care if it's not fair. I said we are playing soccer, boys versus girls and we are going to do just that or you have the option of getting a zero as your grade for this week and cleaning the bathrooms on Friday."

"Tch," Karin said flipping her hair before walking in the direction of the soccer field.

Sigh….I love Anko, she's just a big sister who has a way with people.

"On the field maggots!"

A bunch of "yeah's" and "fine's" was heard as we all headed towards the field.

"Don't feel bad if we win," Naruto said putting his arms around me and Hinata.

"Ha, please," I said looking at him.

"I'm serious," he said staring me down.

"And so am I," I said returning eye contact.

"Don't be so confident, Naruto," Hinata said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"But come on, boys versus girls; it's obvious who would win."

"We'll see," I said as me and Hinata walked away from him.

"Aw c'mon, don't be like that," he whined. "I don't want my two favorite girls to be mad at me!"

"We're not exactly mad; a little pissed? Yes," I called back.

"We just wanna show you that girls can win," Hinata said continuing with my line of thought.

"Ok," he said before running to catch up with us. He placed his hands where they were before and we continued on with our walk to the soccer field.

"But I just thought that since you guys have Karin-shudder- and her groupies-shudder- that you guys would be at an disadvantage," he stated.

"We'll pick up the slack," I said.

"Mhmm, besides all they are gonna do is stand around and watch as the ball rolls right by them," Hinata said as she placed her left arm around Naruto.

"Yeah," I said with amusement lacing my words. "The only time they will move for the ball is when one of you have it," I said emphasizing the word 'you.'

Naruto scrunched up his face in disgust and pulled us closer to him. "Well then, I'm not going after that ball."

"Well then, how are you suppose to win?" I asked teasingly.

"Oh man!" he exclaimed realizing that he had to play to win. His shoulders slumped and his arms around us loosened. I laughed at his behavior and Hinata gave off a small giggle while poking Naruto's cheek.

"Sasuke, Tenten, come here!" Anko yelled.

I watched as the two hurried over to Anko. They nodded their heads in understanding after she talked and then what I saw made me amused. They had to play rock, paper, scissors to determine which side will get this half of the field.

Tenten won by picking paper and she retreated to our side of the field, smiling like a little kid who received a free pack of gummy worms from her friends.

"Okay blonde boy, get to the other side of the field," Tenten said jerking her thumb behind her, pointing to the other half of the field.

"Fine," he said as he walked sluggishly away from us.

"Hey, cheer up! I'll buy you ramen on Friday!" I yelled causing him to turn around with a big smile plastered on his face.

I smiled back and suddenly I saw him running in my direction. I was engulfed in a big bear hug and lifted off my feet.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he yelled jumping up and down.

"Put me down!" I yelled.

"Sorry," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, yeah, now just go over there," I said motioning to the other half of the field.

"Alright, in positions!" Anko said loudly while standing right next to me. I rubbed my ear, hoping that it would stop hurting. Sheesh, she can be as loud as Ino and Naruto.

"The game will continue till the end of the class period. And I better see some of you play," she said directly looking at Karin.

With that said she left the field and blew the whistle. My body moved forward as soon as the shrill of the whistle stopped. I was going up against Naruto which was not a surprised. He dribbled the ball trying to get around me to pass it to Sasuke, but I kept him busy making sure he wouldn't have a chance to.

As I tried to get the ball from Naruto, I saw Shichi coming at us but mostly me. I moved out of the way but it proved to be useless because she changed her direction slightly. I braced for impact and soon enough I was knocked off my feet, falling to the ground.

I winced as my back hit into the ground, pain stinging my body. I ignored it and pushed myself into a sitting position on the floor, glaring at the stupid girl. A sickly sweet smile of satisfaction was plastered on her face as she stared down at me while everyone on the field stood still waiting to see what would happen.

Naruto was the first one to recover from it all and help me up. The smile that was plastered on that bimbo's face was soon becoming strained as she watched as Naruto made sure I was ok. She stomped her feet and gave off a little shriek before walking away.

"Hey, are you ok?" Naruto asked me concern clearly seen in his eyes.

"Why I outta go rip out her fake nails," Ino said as she walked up to us.

"It's fine Ino," I said dusting off the grass on my pants.

"It's not fine Sakura!"

"Ino, she didn't hurt me hurt me so I'm good," I said.

"Fine," she said before walking back to her place on the field.

"Shichi, come over here!" Anko yelled. I watched as Anko spoke to her before she flipped her hair and sat down on one of the benches outside. Well, that's a zero for the week.

"Is your back still hurting?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah," I said wincing when I moved, "but I guess it's ok. I'm trying to ignore it at the moment."

"Do you wanna sit out?" he asked.

"Nah," I stated.

"You sure?"

"Naruto," I said looking at him.

"Ok, ok, I just wanted to make sure" he said.

Anko came walking over to us with her clipboard in hand.

"Could you still play or do you want to sit out?" she asked.

"I'll play," I said and she nodded. "Ok, we'll start over. Go back to where you were!"

This time I stayed back and let Tennie take the lead when the whistle was blown. As I jogged down to where the ball was I could feel Sasuke's eyes on me and I also felt them before when the whole scene happened. I risked a glance and watched as he turned his head away quickly.

My eyes scanned the field and watched as the ball went from Tenten to Hinata to Ino and then back to Tenten. I noticed that somehow a pattern was forming but it wasn't with the passes. It was with Karin and her sluts. Every time Ino got the ball Mei would somehow turn as if to go after her, Ami did the same to Tenten, and since Shichi wasn't here Karin took her place in going after Hinata.

I reached to where they were and Tenten kicked the ball to me, making Karin change her course. I kicked the ball down the field making sure to stay away from Karin while also trying to avoid Sasuke who was coming to get the ball. For some reason I had this gut feeling that told me that I should move to the right a few feet and when I did Karin zoomed right passed me and knocked into Suigetsu. Hmph, serves her right for trying to tackle me.

"What the hell? Get off of me!" Suigetsu yelled trying to move her from off of him.

I couldn't help but to chuckle a bit at the two on the ground.

"Stop trying to molest me!" Suigetsu screamed flailing around. I tried to hold in my laughter but his screaming and flailing started to crack me up. Soon enough Naruto started laughing along with me and I looked forward to see an amused expression on Sasuke's face.

"Like I would want to touch you fish face," came Karin's voice.

"Hello, crazy, slutty idiot, YOU'RE TOUCHING ME RIGHT NOW!" he screamed finally pushing her off.

"Hmph," she stated as she got to her feet.

Poor Suigetsu. But I can't help but to notice that they make a really good couple. I mean he manages to put up with her and he even teases her sometimes, and she deals with it by arguing, making them look like a married couple; and that makes me think that they are attracted to each other, but they just don't know it yet. And even though he just told her to get off of him, the look on his face said that he didn't really mind it at all. Plus, she's blushing a bit right now which says that she does have an attraction to him. I so have to tell the girls later.

"Looks like this game is going nowhere," Anko said walking onto the field. "Give me the ball and go get your things. You guys are dismissed early." A bunch of "yay's" was heard as everyone made their way off the field.

"I'm still mad about what happened earlier," Ino stated as she shot a glare at Shichi.

"I was shocked," Hinata said as we gathered our stuff.

"I tried avoiding it, but it didn't work," I said fixing my bag as I walked.

"And then Karin tried tackling you," Tennie stated as we arrived at our lockers.

"I know, but right before she did, I had this feeling that told me to move out of the way and when I did she went zooming past me and hit right into Suigetsu."

"That was so funny," Ino said amusingly as she reached for her English book.

"It was," Tennie agreed with a big smile on her face.

"That was my laugh of the day," I said as I placed my books in my bag.

"Mine too," Hinata said softly.

"I want Friday to hurry up and come so bad," Tennie said as we walked to the exit of the building.

"Why?" Hinata asked as we covered our eyes briefly from the blinding sun.

"Because after Friday is the weekend and I am so tired from all the schoolwork we have, I need a break," Tennie said jumping down the steps.

"Agreed," Ino said.

"Tennie, don't fall," I stated with a smile on my face as I watched her jump down step after step.

"Wahh—ouchie!" she exclaimed as she fell on her butt. "You jinxed me!"

"No, not really. I just told you not to fall," I said as I helped her up.

She stuck her tongue out at me and turned around to walk in the direction of Ino's car. We dumped our bags in the truck and leaned against the door of the car.

"Oh, before I forget! My dad's having his annual barbeque get together next week Saturday," Ino said turning to us.

"Yay! I love your dad's barbeque chicken!" Tennie exclaimed before staring off into space.

"Awesome, I can't wait. Is he gonna make some shrimps?" I asked. I always love Ino's dad's shrimps.

"Most likely. Besides, he makes them mostly for you and us," she stated.

"His steaks taste absolutely delicious," Hinata said.

"Hey look Tennie's drooling," I said as I pointed at her.

"Hey Tenten! Snap out of it!" Ino screamed in her ear.

"Ochies! What was that for?" Tennie asked, rubbing her ear.

"You're drooling," I stated.

"Whoops," she said before taking a napkin from Ino's glove compartment.

"Yes, my dad's food is awesome, but Sakura your mom's seafood spaghetti is divine," Ino said, her eyes sparkling like stars.

"Do you think she can make it for next week?" Tennie asked, giving me a bright smile.

"I'll ask," I said before I got glomped by Tennie.

"Hey, what's with all the hugging? I wanna hug!" came a voice I knew all too well.

"Hello Naruto," Hinata greeted.

"Hi Hinata!" Naruto said happily, pulling the girl into a hug.

"What's up?" Kiba asked popping up from behind Naruto.

"Nothing really, just talking," replied Tenten.

"Talking about what?" he asked wrapping his arms around Ino.

"About my dad's annual barbeque," Ino said leaning back into him.

"When is it?" he asked staring down at Ino.

"Next week Saturday," she said.

I looked away from the now conversing couple, my gaze landing on my black sneakers. I wonder, is it normal to feel awkward around friends who have boyfriends? Because that's what I am feeling right now, but at the same time it feels not that much awkward and I don't want to say I'm jealous, but I guess I feel lonely some how.

Lonely, it sums up the way how I feel. Yes, my friends are here right next to me, but I just feel lonely. I wonder, does Tenten feel this way also?

"Hey, you okay?" Naruto asked, leaning onto the car next to me.

"Uh, yeah, why do you ask?" I asked lifting my eyes to meet his.

"You seem out of it," he stated. "Are you sure everything is alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it," I said before I turned my head away only to stare right into Sasuke's onyx orbs. I blinked, breaking eye contact and returned my gaze to my shoes.

"Ok, so we'll see you guys next Saturday! C'mon girls," Ino said to us, opening the door to her car. We all piled in one by one and soon enough we were passing through the school gates.

I leaned my head on the window, watching as the trees zoomed passed us. I exhaled against the glass, making it get foggy. I drew a small little sad face before I wiped it away.

I jumped slightly when my phone vibrated and I pulled it out from my pocket.

_Hey, r u ok?_

_Yh, y?_

_U look kinda sad and bummed_

_K, promise not 2 tell Ino & Hina?_

_Yh, I promise_

_Do u feel kinda bummed or lonely wen their bfs come around?_

_Yh, I do. Do u?_

_Yh, dat's y I am bummed _

_I understand, anyway ttly, dis is my stop_

_Kk. _

I shoved my phone in my pocket and watched as Tenten made her way up the driveway to her house. I sighed, knowing that it would take another twenty-five minutes to get to my house.

My warm, cozy home, where vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup awaits me, and sleep, but sadly I have to wait a long, agonizing twenty-five minutes till I get home. Sigh….

Aside from feeling bummed, I was a bit tired making me want to get home faster. Although the tiredness was slightly noticeable, I tried to hide how bummed I was feeling because sometimes Ino glances back at me through her mirror and it will do me no good if she starts bombarding me with questions, questions that I would not want to answer. I inwardly sighed and looked down at my lap, staring at a thread that was coming out of my pants.

My index finger and thumb started twirling the white colored thread clockwise and counter-clockwise and my head rested in the palm of my left hand which was resting on the little arm rest thingy on the door.

My eyes that were glued on the thread looked up when the car came to a stop in front of Hinata's big house.

"I'll see you guys later," she said before closing the door.

I nodded and Ino bid her farewell before pulling out of the driveway, setting off to my house.

"You're awfully quiet back there, forehead," Ino said looking back at me when we reached a traffic light.

"Just lost in my thoughts," I replied back staring out the window.

"You wanna talk about anything?" she asked concern clearly seen in her eyes.

"I fine," I said adding a bit of cheerfulness to my voice.

"If you say so," she said before the car started moving again. "Next week I wanna take you shopping," she stated, making me turn my gaze to her.

"What for?" I asked seeing no need to go shopping.

"For the barbeque, silly," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ino, I don't need to go shopping," I said.

"Yes, you do, and we are going, little missy,' she said sternly, leaving no room for any objections.

I sighed and slouched into the car seat. What an interesting day that day would be next week, and by interesting I also mean torture filled because we would be in the mall for hours with Ino picking out clothes.

"Look on the bright side," she said.

"What's the bright side?" I asked.

"Sasuke's gonna drool when he sees you!" she said cheerily pulling up in the driveway.

"INO!" I yelled which earned me a fit of giggles.

"Hahahaha," she continued laughing before wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes. "Anyway, this is your stop forehead."

I sighed and got out of the car grabbing my things on my way out.

"Bye Ino," I said.

"Bye bye," she said laughter clearly seen in her eyes.

I watched as she pulled out of the driveway before going inside to search for my beloved ice cream.

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**Me: Heehee, I hope you liked it. I know this took long to come out, but the monitor went down for about four or more weeks then my school started back and I have been busy with homework and school stuff. **

**Please review. =) **


	10. Chapter 10

**Me: Thank you guys for reviewing! I love hearing from you guys and all the good comments make me happy!**

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"Hey Sakura! I can't wait to go to Ichiraku today!" Naruto yelled bouncing down the hallway towards me. "Ichi-Ichi-raku, Ichi-Ichi-raku," he sang smiling happily.

I closed my locker and leaned my back against it.

"I am only treating you to two bowls of ramen," I stated as he came to a stop in front of me.

"Whyyyy?" he whined dropping to his knees, his two hands grabbing mine.

"Because if I actually spent money on buying all the ramen you could eat then I'll become broke and we will have to wash all the dishes in order to pay for all the ramen you ate," I said looking down at him.

"Or we could just borrow some money from Teme," he suggested letting go of my hands and standing up.

"No," I stated.

"Awww," he said before pouting.

We walked out of the school doors and made our way over to Ino who was standing next to her car.

"Can we at least bring Teme along?" he asked.

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because I want his company," he said smiling.

"I don't believe you," I said shifting my backpack into a more comfortable position.

"Because he's my best friend," he stated.

"Yes, he is your best friend but I know that's still not why you want him to come."

"Because he has money to pay for what you can't," he finally sighed out.

"I think we have the right answer," I said.

"Fine, I won't take Teme's money, but can I still drag him and Mr. Creepy Eyes along?" he asked.

"Mr. Creepy Eyes has a name you know," I stated.

"Yeah, I know," he replied.

"Besides, I thought you liked those eyes because Hinata has them and you think they are cool."

"I do like them, but Neji's own is slightly different and when he glares at you it's really creepy, but not as creepy as Teme's glare," he stated.

"Well, I guess I'll tell Ino that I won't be needing a ride home," I said as we approached her.

"Hey, forehead!" she yelled motioning for me to come over.

"Hey," I replied when I was standing directly in front of her.

"So I was thinking that maybe next week Friday we can go shopping," she said.

"I'll have to talk to my mom first," I said.

"Ok," she said opening her car door.

"I don't need a ride today because I'm treating Naruto to ramen," I informed.

"Ok, I have to go get ready anyways," she said happily.

"Ready for what?" I asked.

"Kiba asked me if I wanted to hang out at the small café near my parents' flower shop and I said yes."

"But what about Hina and Tennie?" I asked.

"Hina said she'll catch a ride with Neji and Tennie said that she might just go with you to Ichiraku's."

"Okay, well have fun on your date," I said before she closed her car door. Her windows rolled down and she popped her blond head outside.

"It's not a date," she stated blushing slightly.

"Yeah, it is," I said. "You two are already together and you're going out. Isn't that a date?"

"Whatever, forehead. I'll call you later about what happened," she squealed excitedly.

I watched as her purple car drove out of the parking lot before turning to Naruto who wore a big smile on his face.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked.

"Hinata is coming with us to Ichiraku!" he stated happily.

"So is Tenten," I said.

"And Teme," he added.

"And Neji," I stated.

"Speaking of them, here they come," he happily said pointing behind me.

I turned around and saw the four coming in our direction. I looked down before Sasuke's eyes could meet mine's and I shifted my weight onto my left foot.

"Hey!" Naruto greeted brightly before grabbing Hinata's hand, intertwining her fingers with his own.

"Hey," Tenten said while Sasuke and Neji gave a small nod. I said a small hi and Hinata gave a hello.

"Off to Ichiraku we go," Naruto sang while leading Hinata away from the spot where we were.

"Oi, where are you going?" Sasuke asked.

"To your car, duh," Naruto said obviously.

"Who said I was carrying you anywhere, Dobe?" Sasuke asked walking behind Naruto.

"Well, Sakura is treating me to ramen and we need a ride there," he said stopping in front of Sasuke's black car, "plus you guys are coming anyways."

"Who said I am coming?" he asked Naruto with his arms crossed.

"I did," Naruto said sticking his tongue out at Sasuke.

"Whatever," Sasuke said before going to his side of the car.

"I call shot gun," Naruto shouted.

"No, you sit in the back with the others," Sasuke stated.

"But why?" Naruto whined.

"Because I said so," Sasuke said before closing his car door. "Besides Hinata will most likely have to sit on you so everyone could fit," he said when his window was down.

"Fine," Naruto said before getting into the car. He pulled Hinata onto his lap which caused the girl to turn a pink color and he buried his face in her neck.

"Sakura," Sasuke's smooth voice called. I turned my attention towards him, waiting for him to continue. "Sit in front."

I suppressed a blush as I got in the car and we waited until Neji and Tenten got in before pulling out the school gates.

"Now I see why I couldn't sit in front," Naruto stated slyly.

"Dobe," Sasuke warned.

"What, I'm just saying that-ouch! What the heck Neji?" he yelled rubbing his head.

"Hn," Neji replied.

"Hyuuga," Sasuke nodded as a sign of thanks.

"Hinata, I have a booboo," Naruto whined pointing to the place on his head where Neji hit him. Hinata reached up and rubbed the spot for a while before resting her hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"They're plotting against me Hinata. Teme and Mr. Creepy Eyes are out to get me! They're gonna team up and drag Sakura and Tenten along to help them with their evil plans! And then they are going to make Kiba join them which means that Ino will help them, and then they are gonna come after me!"

"Mr. Creepy Eyes?" Neji asked, his left eye twitching at the nickname Naruto gave him.

"Why, hello there Mr. Creepy Eyes," Tenten said before giggling.

"Hn," Neji muttered with a bit of pink staining his cheeks.

"Aw, don't worry, I love your eyes," she said pinching his cheeks while trying to hold down a blush.

I imagined what Tenten's face looked like and I tried to hold back a laugh. I turned my head and gazed out of the window, faintly seeing myself reflected on the glass. As the car came to a stop at a traffic light, I could feel Sasuke's eyes on me.

I could only guess that he is looking at me from the corner of his eyes because fully turning his head and gazing openly at me would bring attention to the situation causing Naruto to comment.

His eyes left me when the light changed and the car started to move and I felt slightly relieved. When his eyes are on me, I always feel nervous and giddy. I'll admit that it is an interesting feeling that bubbles up in me, making my heart pound twice as much as it should.

As my heart rate started to slow, my breathing pattern returned to normal and I sank into the comfortable seat, waiting until we arrived at Ichiraku. The air condition of the car and the surprising quietness made me want to sleep, but I kept trying to stay awake. The smell of the car didn't help either, seeing as it was helping to lull me into sleep. The intoxicated smell that was all around me, drifting in and out my nose was Sasuke's scent.

It was soothing and nice, reminding me of spices, and somewhere hidden beneath I could detect a faint scent of tomatoes and sweets which was strange considering how Sasuke barely ate sweets. Maybe he gets that sweet smell from somewhere within his house, but I truly wouldn't know. Maybe I should ask Naruto, but right now I feel at ease and relaxed, so I'm just gonna enjoy this time and not worry about anything for the moment.

"Hey Teme, turn on the radio!" Naruto yelled.

I sighed as the silence in the car shattered when Naruto talked. I sank further into my seat and closed my eyes, relaxing my muscles.

"Hn," Sasuke said.

"Fine," Naruto said, "I'll do it myself." And with that I felt his hand shot forward in between the seats trying to reach the radio. A smack was heard and I felt the rush of air when Naruto pulled his hand back.

"TEME!" he yelled.

"Don't touch the radio, dobe," was all that Sasuke said.

"Fine, imma be the radio," Naruto stated.

"Gotta get that, Gotta get that," he began.

"Naruto," Tenten said sighing.

"Fine."

"Boom boom pow, them…."

"Naruto," Neji growled out.

I sighed and opened my eyes. So much for a peaceful and relaxing car ride.

"Fine! If you guys won't let me sing that, Imma sing this…"

"G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S, yeah…"

"Naruto, seriously?" I asked turning to face him.

"Well, you guys won't let me sing the other songs," he reasoned.

I shook my head at him and faced forward watching as the Ichiraku restaurant came into sight.

"Yay! We are here!" Naruto yelled getting out of the car quickly. He grabbed Hinata's hand and led her inside as we took our time getting out of the car. I shoved my small red and black wallet in my right pocket and my cell phone in the other before walking with Tenten.

"How much is a bowl of ramen?" Tenten asked me just as we entered the restaurant.

"Honestly, I don't know," I replied. "It depends on what Naruto orders."

"HEY! OVER HERE!" Naruto yelled attracting the attention of a few customers.

My head was bent down with my hair shielding the side of my face. I quickly walked to where Naruto was before smacking him across the head.

"Do you have to be so loud," I murmured staring at him.

"Sorry," he pouted while rubbing his head.

I sighed and took the seat next to Hinata. Tenten would have sat next to me, but Sasuke magically appeared out of nowhere and took the seat next to me. It reminds me of lunch because he suddenly appears out of nowhere and sits next to me.

I breathed in and out slowly for a few seconds before picking up the menu in front of me. I scanned over the items twice before deciding that I would take the chicken ramen.

"Remember Naruto only two bowls of ramen," I reminded him.

"This is so hard," he said sadly as he stared at the menu. "Hinata, can you please pick for me?" he asked looking at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Sure," she said before looking down at the menu.

As she was looking, a brunette who was the waitress came to take our orders.

"Hello," she greeted flirtatiously looking from Neji to Naruto to Sasuke. Her eyes stayed way too long on Sasuke for my liking and I noticed the shift in her stance.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked the boys totally ignoring us girls.

"Do you have root beer?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, we do," she said trying to make her voice sound seductive.

"Can I have a root beer?" Naruto asked.

"Sure," she replied before taking out a pencil and pad. She wrote the order down and looked at Neji.

"Can I get you something," she asked.

"Water," he replied, his eyes staring at the white table cloth.

"And how about you?" she asked bending down slightly as she looked at Sasuke.

His eyes were glued on the menu and he didn't even glance her way. "Nothing," he said curtly.

Tenten cleared her throat and glared at the waitress. "I would like a Sprite."

The waitress's eyes narrowed, but she wrote down the drink.

"What about you," she spat out looking directly at Hinata.

"Iced Tea," Hinata said softly.

"And what about you," she asked rudely, glaring full force at me.

I returned her glare and said, "Can I have a Sprite."

"I'll be back with your drinks," she said winking at Naruto before leaving. He shuddered a bit before wrapping an arm around Hinata.

"Teme, why didn't you order something to drink?" Naruto asked.

"Hn, I don't think I want to take something to drink. Who knows what she'll do to it," he said.

Smart kid, but what can I expect? He's the smartest person in our class, me coming in second.

"How come I didn't think of that?" Naruto asked.

"Because Dobe, you're a dobe," Sasuke answered.

"HEY!" Naruto protested loudly. I kicked his foot and he stopped being loud, but he did started whining to Hinata that I kicked him and he most likely got a boo-boo. I rolled my eyes and stared at the fake flowers on the table.

When the waitress came back she placed all the drinks on the table, bending especially low when she set mine down. Sasuke ignored her, his eyes still glued to the menu.

"Are you ready to order or do you need more time?" she asked eyeing Naruto.

"We'll like to order," Hinata sharply said. Whoah, Hinata looks furious. Tsk, tsk, that waitress shouldn't have been checking Naruto out.

"What can I get you?" the waitress hissed.

"One beef ramen, and two chicken ramen," Hinata replied glaring daggers at the brunette.

"I'll have the beef ramen," Neji's emotionless voice said.

"One beef ramen," Tenten said.

"One chicken ramen," I stated glaring.

"One chicken ramen," Sasuke said not looking up from the menu.

"I'll be right back with your meals," she said sweetly looking at Neji.

I glared at her as she walked away. I wonder when she started working here. It's obvious that she is new. I might need to talk to Ayame, the daughter of the owner of this restaurant, about this.

I wonder if she was hired because of her ability to bring in customers, or more specifically, boy customers. I took a good look at the place upon making my conclusion, and it looks like I am correct.

There are mostly boys here and a few are here with their girlfriends. I am curious to know how the others girls in this place are dealing with this flirty waitress. Before I had more time to ponder on the subject, the waitress came back with a tray holding the of bowls ramen.

She set them in front of the guys and winked before heading back to the kitchen to I guess get the rest of the food unless she "forgot." Tenten, Hinata, and I waited for about ten minutes before our food actually came.

As the steaming bowl was in front of me, I couldn't help but wonder if she did something to it because she took long with the food, but I can't simply just say that she did something with it because I am not sure, so I will just pray that the food does nothing bad to me.

So…Dear God, Kami-sama, please let this food be good and nothing to be wrong with it because I do not know if that waitress put anything in it. And I also pray for Tennie's and Hina's meal because I don't want anything bad to happen to them either. And I pray especially for the boys' meal. And thank you; in your name I pray, Amen.

Now that I have prayed, I deem the food ready to be eaten and eaten it will be. While I took my time savoring my ramen, Naruto was swallowing mouthful after mouthful of noodles. By the time I was half-way through my food, he was already on his second bowl. I heard him whine slightly realizing that all his precious ramen was done.

"Do you want some of mine?" I heard Hinata ask him softly.

"No, no, you have to eat," he said gently and politely.

Those two are just so sweet! They give me a mouthful of sugary goodness whenever I see the sweetness of their relationship.

I finally finished my ramen and pushed the bowl away. I picked up my drink and took a few sips before setting it back down on the table. As I played with the straw, I let my eyes wander about the place, watching the waitress.

I could clearly see the pissed off expression that this one black-haired girl had on her face as the waitress flirted with her boyfriend. From the looks of it, Blackie was gonna get up and give that waitress a good beating or at least claw her face off. Go for it Blackie! I'm rooting for you! Show that slut not to mess with your man or anyone else's!

But, sadly, Blackie didn't do anything because the waitress moved to a different table, one that was occupied by five boys.

I picked up my drink and took another sip before setting it back down. I glared at the waitress when she turned around and looked in our direction.

As I was glaring, the soda that I still grasped in my hand, even though it was sitting on the table, disappeared from my hold. I looked to where it had gone and found Sasuke drinking some of it. I blushed as I realized that I am going to drink from the same straw and that he is drinking from the same straw that I used.

"What are you doing?" I asked quietly, hoping that my voice remained regular.

"Like I said, I wasn't gonna order something to drink because she might have put something in my drink, but she didn't put anything in your drink. And since I am thirsty, I am just gonna take some of yours. You don't mind, right?" He looked at me after that last question and I found it hard for me to speak.

His dark orbs pierced my emerald green eyes and I fought back a blush.

"No, I don't," I said wishing and hoping that my voice wouldn't crack or get higher.

He nodded his head and took a few more sips before placing the glass back in my hands. I stared down at the glass and the straw before actually bringing it to my lips so I could take a few sips of the drink.

When I looked up, I saw the waitress sending me a nasty look. She flipped her hair and retreated to the kitchen. Tch, Sasuke isn't yours, he's mine! So back off slut!

"Well, I think it's just about time to get out of here," Tenten said breaking the silence that was around our table.

I nodded my head in agreement.

"I don't like the new waitress. Next time we come back, we are asking for Ayame," Hinata stated.

"Mhmm," I said taking a few more sips of my drink.

Just as I pulled it away from my lips, Sasuke grabbed it and drank the rest. Tenten sent me a knowing look and I mouthed the words shut up to her while failing at suppressing a blush.

We left the money on the table, not bothering to wait for the waitress, seeing as we already knew the cost of everything. Sasuke was beside me when we walked out the building and through the parking lot to get to his car.

Once inside the car I sank back into the seat, making myself comfortable. I looked out the window before closing my eyes, feeling relaxed. My stomach was filled and I was tired, only wanting to go home and shower before dropping down on my bed.

I opened my eyes again and decided to calculate the time it would take to drop everyone home. Since Neji and Hinata lived under one roof we don't have to make two stops, so that alone would take about twenty minutes to drop them off and head back. Tenten lived ten minutes away from me and Naruto lives about five minutes away from Sasuke who lives in the street around the corner from me, so in total that would be about half an hour or a little over that.

I checked the time on my cell phone, 6:15. I hope when I get home Ino doesn't call me right away. I am way too tired to talk on the phone at the moment, and I could totally imagine me falling asleep while she is talking to me. And then I would wake up to an earful of Ino yelling at me to wake up.

I moaned tiredly as Naruto started singing again. I knew this time we won't be able to shut him up. He had a full stomach and was happy. Nothing could make him shut up, and Hinata is to kind to tell him to shut up, but I am not.

"Naruto," I started sweetly.

"Yes," he replied back happily.

"Shut up!" I said as my head started to hurt from his off key singing.

"But why?" he whined.

"Because you are giving me a headache," I stated rubbing my temples.

"But I'm not giving Hinata a headache," he stated. "I'm not giving you a headache, right?" he asked as he looked at her.

"No," she replied.

"See!" he yelled.

A smack was heard and I thanked who ever smacked him.

"Why's you hit me Tenten!" he said sounding dazed.

"Stop yelling idiot," she said.

"I'm not yelling!" he yelled.

SMACK

"You're making Sakura's headache worse," Tenten hissed.

Looks like I am not the only one who's getting a headache.

"Dobe, shut it or else," Sasuke said.

"Or else what Teme," Naruto answered defiantly.

"I'll take all your ramen, even the one in your secret hiding place."

"NOOOO! And you don't even know where my secret hiding place is," Naruto stated.

"Yes, I do," Sasuke said just as he drove up the Hyuuga's driveway.

"Aww man," Naruto whined defeated.

Hinata giggled at his expression before placing a kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye Naruto," she said sliding off his lap.

"Bye Hinata," Naruto said waving.

Once they were safely inside, Sasuke backed out of the driveway and started in the direction of Tenten's house. To avoid Naruto's singing, Sasuke turned on the radio.

"Yay!" Naruto said in delight before shutting up.

The rest of the ride was quiet and after dropping Tenten off, I was next. I got my stuff and climbed out of the car, thanking Sasuke for the ride before telling Naruto goodbye.

"Bye Sakura!" was what I heard before I entered my house.

I walked up to my room and dropped my bag onto the floor unceremoniously before grabbing a fresh set of clothes. A shower would do me good at this time and it would relax my muscles.

I disappeared into the bathroom for about thirty minutes before emerging, feeling refreshed. I dried my hair with my fluffy blue towel before throwing it over the back of my chair to dry.

I walked over to my dirty clothes that were lying on the floor near the foot of my bed and searched the pockets for my cell phone and wallet before tossing the clothes into the laundry basket on the other side of the room.

I checked for any messages before setting the phone to vibrate. Having nothing to do, I walked out of my room with my cell phone in hand. While going down the stairs I met Sasori who had a bagel in one hand.

"How was school?" he asked.

"Tiring," I said. He ruffled my hair before passing by me. I huffed as fixed my hair, continuing to my destination, the living room.

I plopped down on the couch and turned on the television, immediately flipping through the channels for something to watch.

As I flipped, the phone started to buzz and I picked it up, checking the caller id.

"Hi Ino," I answered.

"Hey forehead," she said exuberantly.

"Someone looks like they had a good time," I commented.

"Oh I did," she said sighing out happily.

"Do tell," I said making myself comfortable on the couch.

"Well, first we went to the café and he bought me anything I wanted. I got the triple chocolate cake and he simply took a slice of vanilla cake. We talked for a while before he said it was time to go. I looked up at him confusedly as his hand stretched out to mine's, and he said c'mon trust me and so I took his hand. He then paid and led me away from the café. I, of course, asked where we were going, but he said it was a secret. He pulled me along and we eventually reached a small park. He led me to the center where a small fountain was located and directed me to sit on the edge next to him. When I did, he pointed forward and to the sky and when I looked up I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets ever."

"That sounds cute," I said as I twirled my pink hair around my index finger.

"It was," she sighed. "Now enough about me, tell me what happened with you."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Honey, I may not be as smart as you, but I do know that Sasuke and Neji went along with you guys to Ichiraku's."

"So you know," I stated.

"Obviously," she said. "Now tell meeeee," she pleaded.

"Well, Ichiraku now has a new waiter, who might I add is a slut."

"Oh, she was all flirty with Sasuke, huh?"

"Not only with him, but all the other guys in the restaurant, and it had this one girl who looked like she was gonna beat the slutty waitress up."

"That would have been a sight to see."

"I know," I said agreeing with her.

"So details forehead," Ino demanded.

"Well…."

"And don't leave anything out. I wanna know what happened from the school parking lot to when you reached home."

I sighed quietly. "Well, Naruto was being Naruto and demanded or more like informed Sasuke that he was taking us to Ichiraku. I got shot gun because Sasuke told Naruto to get in the back of the car so that everyone could fit. So the car ride was sort of peaceful, well, as peaceful as it could be with Naruto around. He did get a few smacks for singing and for hinting at something that both Sasuke and Neji knew. Then we reached Ichiraku, sat, ordered, ate, and drank. And Sasuke shared my drink…"

"He did? Oooo, tell me more and how and why?"

"Because he didn't want to order a drink."

"Why," Ino asked.

"Because he said that the waitress might have put something in it," I said.

"He's smart," Ino stated.

"Ya think?"

"Oh shush! Now continue, how did the sharing process go?"

"Well, I had my drink in my hand and he took it from me and drank from it and then I drank from it and then he finished it off."

"So that's it?"

"Pretty much," I said.

"And what about the ride home?" she questioned.

"Nothing interesting happened except for Naruto being a loudmouth," I said truthfully.

"Nothing at all other than that?" she asked.

"Nope," I said.

"Oh forehead, I have to go. My mom's telling me that I have to eat dinner and help clean up in the shop. I'll talk to you later!"

"Alright, piggy."

"Bye forehead!"

"Bye Pig!" And with that said I hung up the phone.

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**Me: So let me know what you guys think by reviewing! Also, school is keeping me busy so I have no idea when the next chapter is coming out. **

**Btw, which is better: Frosted Strawberry Poptarts or Brown Sugar Cinnamon Poptarts? Leave your answer in your review please! :) **


	11. Chapter 11

**Me: Hi hi! So you guys answered my question in my author's note and most of you said brown sugar cinnamon. And that's my fav, lol. I asked because in school my friend was like strawberry is the best and I was like brown sugar cinnamon. And then a classmate of mine's said strawberry and I was brown sugar cinnamon. So I was just curious to see which one you guys liked better.**

**Also, thank you for the reviews! Btw, the stores in this chapter is all made up, lol. **

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So today is the day that Ino is taking me to the mall to get new clothes, which frankly I think I do not need, but she insists that I need to look 'sexylicious for my dear Sasuke-kun'.

I gave up a long time ago at trying to persuade her that I do not need new clothes, but if you know Ino then you know that she is one stubborn pig.

"C'mon Sakura," she said pulling me along.

"You're pulling me with you so of course I am coming," I stated.

"Don't be such a smarty pants," she said.

"Well, you are yanking me by the hand," I informed.

"Because you won't hurry up!" she exclaimed.

"Is it such a crime to take your time?" I asked before realizing that my sentence rhymed.

"Gasp," she said.

"Seriously, Ino? You say gasp?" I asked pausing in my walking.

"What, I wanted to try it," she said looking at me.

"Whatever," I said as she continued to lead me through the mall.

"Walk a little faster, would ya forehead? I wanna go to Delicious Town."

"Delicious Town?" I asked wondering what kind of store is named Delicious Town.

"Yeah, it's a new store," Ino informed.

"Is the clothes any good?" I asked.

"Good? They're awesome!" she exclaimed happily.

"Well, I'll just have to see this place for myself," I said.

"And you will," Ino said before stopping in front of a store. "Here it is," she announced.

I looked up at the store and at the purple neon sign that read 'Delicious Town.'

"Well, don't just stand there," Ino voiced making me turn my attention off of the sign and onto her. "C'mon!"

She dragged me inside and led me to the back end of the store where all the bathing suits were.

"What color would go great on you?" she wondered with a finger to her chin.

"I don't know," I said.

"Hmmm, well what's your new size?" Ino asked.

"Ummm, bigger than you," I informed.

"Well, duh," she said obviously.

I shrugged my shoulders and she sighed.

"I'll be right back," she announced.

I watched as she walked up to the lady behind the counter, who looked to be in her late thirties. Ino took a role of measuring tape that was handed to her and started back in my direction.

"Hands up," she demanded.

I did as was told and watched her concentrated expression.

"Okay, forehead, I'll just go return this and then we will start buying you clothes." She skipped merrily away and I looked around the store. Only two ladies were in here shopping and both were looking at a rack filled with skinny jeans, discussing something.

My eyes turned to Ino as she stopped in front of me. "Well, now that we know what size you are, we can start getting you some bathing suits."

"Suits, as in more than one?" I asked.

"Yes, forehead, I did say suits, it's the plural of suit," she informed.

"Duh, I know that."

"Well, okay then," she said before turning to a rack of bathing suits that were on her right.

"Ino, why are we buying me more than one bathing suit?" I asked.

"Because you need more than one," she stated like it should be obvious.

"Uh, no I don't," I said.

"Uh, yes, you do," she argued back.

"One is enough," I told her.

"NO, it's not," she stressed.

"Ino," I said sternly.

"Sakura," she said back in the same tone of voice.

"You are not gonna change your mind about this, are you?" I asked defeated.

"Nope," she said happily before handing me a green bikini.

"Oh, this is nice," I stated examining the bathing suit closely.

"Yes, it is," she agreed handing me a red bikini.

"I like this one a lot," I said holding up the red one in the light.

"I knew you would," she said. "Now one more and then we move on to the clothes," she said.

"Can I pick one this time?" I asked not wanting her to pick all my clothes.

"Sure," she said moving on to another rack.

I searched through the bathing suits and came across a dark blue bikini whose top criss-crossed at my neck and in the back.

"Ino," I sang merrily, "I think I found one."

"Lemme see, lemme see," she urged grabbing the outfit out from my hands.

"Oh, this is nice, this is really nice," she said approvingly, nodding her head while looking at it.

"I know," I said excitedly.

"And, did you notice that the color of this lovely piece of clothing is one of Sasuke's favorite colors?" she asked pointedly.

"You think I picked it because it is the same color as one of his favorite colors?" I asked questioningly.

"Well, I don't know. Did you?" she asked a big grin forming on her face.

"No, I picked it because I liked it. It's only when you pointed out that the color is one of his favorite colors did I realize that it is," I said taking back the bathing suit.

She waved me off and started sauntering to the front part of the store. I pulled out my cell phone and checked the time before walking over to her.

"Ino, we have already spent twenty minutes in here," I said my voice having a sort of whine to it.

"You can't rush these things forehead," she said as she began flipping through the clothing.

"Pig, you are probably the only person that I know who would spend hours upon hours in a store." And it is true; she takes longer than my mom.

"Because I take my time."

"And go through the whole store," I muttered.

"I heard that," she told me.

I smiled and walked away to a different section of the store. I began shifting through the racks of clothing until my phone suddenly vibrated.

"Hello?"

"_How's shopping sweetie?" _

"So far I have three bathing suits," I told my mom as I continued looking through the rack.

"_Okay, well I just called to check up on you and to tell you that later your father and I won't be home."_

"Are you going out?" I asked momentarily pausing with my hand resting on the rack.

"_No dear, we have to fly out tonight. Our boss called us around five today saying we have a few business meetings that we need to attend."_

"Okay," I said as my hand dropped to my side.

"_As usual Sasori is in charge," _she said.

"I know."

"_We'll be back in the next two weeks."_

"Okay."

"_Oh and I made arrangements for you to stay by Tenten for the weeks we are gone because Sasori is busy and I don't want you staying home alone."_

"Okay," I said again.

"_The seafood dish is in the fridge," she informed._

"Alright," I said.

"_I love you!"_

"I love you too," and with that said I hung up.

She and dad are always away on business trips and me and Sasori hardly see them anymore. For these past few years, it has always been me and Sasori; one looking out for the other, ever since I was eight years old. We stuck to each other like peanut butter and jelly, making sure we knew where each other was. I sighed trying to remain happy.

I picked up two shirts and one black jean pants before moving on to another rack. I scanned the rack and picked up a spaghetti strap shirt, liking the color of it. Deciding that this was good enough, I walked back over to Ino whose hands were filled with clothing.

"Umm, isn't that too much?" I asked staring at the ever growing pile in her hands.

"No," she stated staring at me.

"Do you even have enough money for all of that?" I questioned.

"Forehead, I have a job remember?"

"Right," I said.

"Is that all you are getting?" she asked looking at the articles of clothing in my hand.

"Yes," I answered, watching as she shook her head for side to side.

"You need more."

"I don't think so."

"If it's about the money, I can pay for it," she said.

"No, Ino, you are not paying for my things," I said refusing her offer.

"Sakura," she started.

"Ino," I countered.

"It's no problem, really," she reassured.

"Still, I don't want you to have to pay for it," I stated.

"Don't worry about it," she said waving me off. "Oh, maybe you should work at our flower shop," she suggested. "I can always use the help."

"Well," I said not too sure about it.

"I can talk to my mom about it," she said. "It'll be fun!"

"Fine."

"Oh, look what I got for you," Ino said as she held up a white spaghetti strap shirt that ended about two inches above my bellybutton and black short shorts. "It's for you to wear over your bathing suit at the barbeque."

"Okay," I said reaching out to take the items that she held in front of me.

"So which one of the bathing suits do you plan on wearing?"

"I don't know," I said truthfully.

"How about the blue one?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows.

I smacked her across the face with the blue one and dodged when she tried to hit me.

"I was thinking about wearing that one," I said.

"Well, it is settled then. C'mon let's get out of here; I want food," I laughed and rolled my eyes at her.

We both walked up to the counter with our items and greeted the lady nicely. I watched as Ino's pile of clothing slowly decreased on one side of the counter and began to increase on the next. Ino soon handed the lady the money and waited as she packed her clothing into big plastic bags.

Finally, she was done and I was next. It only took five minutes and in no time were we saying goodbye and walking out of the store.

"So where to next?" I asked.

"The food court," Ino replied rubbing her stomach. "I'm hungry."

We descended the stairs and walked for a while before entering the food court. "You go find a table forehead, and I'll go order."

I nodded as she walked off. I found a cozy little table in the back big enough for the at least three people and I made my way over to it. I set my one bag down next to me and looked around the place. Not many people were around and only a few workers were behind the counter. One was reading a magazine and the other was fixing his hair. Wait a minute….is that SUIGETSU? NO WAY!

I got up from my seat and walked up to him.

"May I help-oh, hi Sakura!" he greeted.

"You work here?"

"Yeah, I started last month," he replied.

"No wonder I haven't seen you here before," I muttered.

"I needed some extra cash," he said leaning against the counter.

"Oh," I responded.

"So what brings you here?"

"Ino was hungry," I said plainly earning me a laugh.

"Well, I'm on my break. Do you mind if I join you guys?"

"Not at all." I led him to the table I was previously at and he took a seat across from me.

"So…." I began.

"Uchiha likes you," Suigetsu said unexpectedly.

"Wah," I blubbered out.

"I said Uchiha likes you," Suigetsu repeated.

"But how do you know that he does?"

"It is quite obvious," Suigetsu replied.

"It is?" I asked.

"Well, I see it," he answered, staring directly at me.

Ino chose to show up at that moment holding a tray with food. She looked at me with a confused expression.

"He works here," I said watching her reaction.

"You do?" she asked taking a seat next to me.

"Yes," he replied.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Ino questioned while pushing my food towards me.

"I was telling Pinky here that Uchiha likes her," Suigetsu stated.

"You see it too, right?" Ino exclaimed pausing in bringing a French fry to her mouth.

"Yep," he said casually while leaning back in his chair.

"Suigetsu," Ino started placing her food down.

"Hm?"

"What's the deal with you and Karin?" Ino asked catching him off guard.

"What do you mean?" he said.

"Don't play dumb," Ino said, "you say that it's obvious that Sasuke likes Sakura, well, it's also obvious that there is something between you and Karin."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" I asked him. "If you don't mind me asking," I added.

"I've known her for a long time," he answered, swiping a French fry from my plate.

"Do you like her?" Ino asked.

He paused in his eating and looked at us. "Say I do, does it really matter?"

"Why would you say that?" I asked letting him eat more of my fries.

"She's always chasing after her 'precious Sasuke' and her posse is like a bunch of irritating mosquitoes that you can't get rid of that joins her in chasing after guys that have the looks."

"I'm sorry that you feel that way," I said genuinely.

"I don't mean to be hating on your guy Sakura; he's cool and a good friend if anyone needs one," Suigetsu said honestly.

"I understand." I felt sorry for the poor guy. He's a good friend and under all of that playful attitude he can be sweet, sensitive, and serious when he needs to be. And I know this because I have seen it before, especially when we were young.

"We knew you like her," Ino said.

"Well, like I said it doesn't matter. She just wants someone with the looks, the money, and the cool attitude," he said grimly.

"But you don't look bad," I said.

"Yeah, you are one handsome dude," Ino continued smiling brightly at him.

"Tch, tell that to Karin," Suigetsu muttered.

"Suigetsu, you may not see it, but I see the way she looks at you," I said, "she likes you. I can see it in her eyes and sometimes by the way she acts around you."

"She does like you," Ino said, "just wait a while and see what happens."

"Maybe I will," Suigetsu sighed out.

"Aww do you wanna hug from Pinky and Piggy?" I said in a baby voice.

"Hey!" Ino said when she heard the word piggy.

"Heh, that would be nice," Suigetsu said.

We both gave him a hug and patted his head like he was a little kid.

"You guys would make a good couple you know," Ino said.

"You think so?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said in agreement.

"Soooo, from this conversation, are we friends?" Suigetsu asked.

"Yeah, we are," Ino said.

"Like a said you are a good friend, and your playfulness reminds me of Naruto," I said before taking a sip of my drink.

"It does, doesn't it," Ino said snapping her fingers in realization.

"Oi, Suigetsu get your ass back over here!" a boy behind the counter yelled.

"Well chikas, it looks like my break is over," he stated standing up from his seat.

"We'll see you in school on Monday," I said.

"And if you need people to talk to, just look for me and forehead here," Ino informed.

"I will," he said before walking to the counter.

"Poor guy," I said watching as he wiped down the countertop.

"I know," Ino agreed. "You think Karin's gonna come around anytime soon and see what was right in front of her the whole time?"

"I don't know Ino, I really don't," I said looking as Suigetsu greeted a customer with a friendly smile.

"Well, c'mon let's finish up here and continue with our shopping." Ino took a big bite of her burger and then sip her drink a few times.

"You really are a piggy, stuffing your mouth like that," I laughed out.

"Shush," Ino commented before taking another bite.

I just shook my head at her and continued eating my food.

"Well, I'm full for now."

I looked over at Ino and finished up my drink. "Let's go piggy, it's getting late."

"Mhmm," she hummed in agreement.

We threw our trash in the bin close to the counter and made our way to the exit.

"Bye Suigetsu," I yelled as I turned around.

He gave us a half salute and his goofy smile before turning to an approaching customer.

"It really is sad," I said feeling a bit down just thinking about Suigetsu.

"I know, but let's just finish up our shopping and go home, k?" Ino said before linking her left arm with my right one as we both walked around.

"Yeah," I sighed out, wanting so badly to go home and take a shower before falling asleep on my nice, soft bed.

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**Me: Awww, I feel sorry for Suigetsu ); Poor guy! Don't you? **

**I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please leave a review! I love hearing your good comments! =) And I thank all those of you who support this story! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Me: HAPPY NEW YEARS! Thanks for the reviews guys! I do not own the little message that comes on the inside of the wrapper for the Dove chocolate, heehee!**

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"Sakura, are you ready yet?" Sasori yelled from downstairs.

"Yeah, hold on," I said grabbing my bag from on my bed. I hurried downstairs and bumped into my brother who was in the kitchen.

"Whoa there speedy," he said steadying himself.

"It's amazing that I can knock you off your feet," I stated while getting the seafood spaghetti dish out of the fridge.

"You can't knock me off my feet," he huffed stubbornly.

"You keep telling yourself that." I walked out the back door and headed to Sasori's car, waiting for him to click the door open.

I stood there for five minutes holding the cold dish in my hands while tapping my right foot impatiently.

"Would you open the door?" I asked yelling slightly. He tells me to hurry up, and yet here he is taking his good old time.

"Whoops," he said before I heard a click.

I set my stuff in the car and took a seat, pulling out my phone, and the exact moment I turned it on, it started vibrating.

"Hello?"

"_Forehead where are you!"_

"Waiting in Sasori's car," I replied while staring out of the window.

"_You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago!"_

"I know," I stated, stifling a yawn.

"_Grrr, tell your brother to hurry up!"_

"I don't know where he is."

"_What do you mean you don't know where he is?"_

"Well, he is in the house, but I don't know where in the house."

"_Well, go find him!"_

"Fine," I said while opening the car door.

"_You better or else I'll walk to your house right now and go find him."_

"Well, I should have let you; I wouldn't have to go look for him."

"_SAKURA!"_

"I'm going woman," I said before rubbing my poor ear.

"_Good."_

I pulled the phone slightly away from my mouth as I stepped into the house. "Sasori, where the hell are you?"

"In my room!"

"Why are you up there?" I sighed as I went upstairs.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked as I pushed the door open.

"I forgot something," he said sheepishly.

"Here," I said handing him the phone.

"What?"

"Just answer," I said.

"Fine," he stated. "And could you help me find my swimming trunks?"

"That's what you forgot?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said before putting the phone to his ear.

"How the hell did you forget that?" I asked.

He shrugged and said hello to Ino. As I started digging around in his closet, I heard Ino screaming at him.

"Ino, calm down; we'll be there in a few minutes," he said gently into the phone.

I dug further into his closet and slipped on a shirt. "Ouchie," I mumbled before feeling something squishy under my leg. Ew, ew, ew, ew, please don't let it be a bug. I lifted my leg up slowly and saw something yellow. I grabbed it and pulled it out, holding it up in front of my face.

Aww, how adorable. I hugged the Pikachu plushie to me, not wanting to release my grasp on the cute little thing. I continued on, crawling deeper into the closet, and I finally found Sasori's black and white swimming trunks.

Pulling it out from under a pile of clothing, a sigh of satisfaction escaped my lips and I stood up, flinching as one of Sasori's pants hit me in the face from its place on the rack. Blowing a strand of hair out of my face, I walked out of the closet carefully, making sure not to step on anything lying on the floor.

I took my cell phone from him and flung his pants at his face. The article of clothing covered his head and I waltz out of his room with the little plushie in my hands. As I bounced down the stairs I heard Ino screaming into the phone and I felt sorry for whoever stood next to her.

"Ino be quiet," I said bringing the phone up to my ear.

"_Where were you?" _

"In Sasori's closet."

"_Why?" _she asked.

"Because I was looking for magical unicorns and pretty rainbows," I said excitedly.

"_SAKURA!" _I pulled the phone away from my now ringing ear and tried to get back my hearing.

"Why else would I be in a closet Ino?" I asked now holding the phone to my other ear.

"_Looking for clothes. Anyways, when are you coming? Everyone is almost here already."_

"Well, I just found Sasori's swimming trunks, so we'll be there in about five minutes."

"_Your brother better watch out," Ino warned._

"Do I even want to know?" I opened the car door and plopped down on the seat.

"_Just hurry up."_

"Don't tell me that, I am already in the car." I looked out the window and finally saw my brother locking up the house. I leaned back in my seat and shifted the phone to my other ear.

"We'll be there soon, k," I told Ino who sighed.

"Okay, bye forehead," she said before I heard a small little click. I shoved my phone into the shorts that Ino got me yesterday and waited for Sasori to get into the car. As soon as the car was on I looked for a suitable radio station and got comfortable for the ride.

"You know, you should have looked for your swimming trunks last night," I said looking over at my brother before digging around in my bag for my shades.

"I was busy," he replied glancing at me.

"I'm keeping this by the way." I held up the Pikachu plushie for him to see.

"HEY! That's mine!"

"I know, but the poor thing was in that closet of yours for who knows how long, covered by your clothes. I rescued it and now its mines." I hugged the plushie close to my face and rubbed it head.

"But I want it back," he whined.

"You can hug it whenever you want," I said.

"So you're going to take it from me?" he asked.

"He is not an it," I stated before holding Pikachu in front of my face. "You are not an it," I cooed before hugging it again.

"But it's, I mean he's, mines," he whined pulling into Ino's driveway.

"You abandoned him."

"I did not," he yelled grabbing his things.

"Then why was he left alone in your closet, hm?" I questioned looking at him.

"Because I put him there," Sasori said.

"Well, he's mines now," I said grabbing my things. I gently placed Pikachu in my little bag and grabbed the dish of food.

As soon as I made it to the front door, Ino was there waiting for us. She took the dish from my hands and handed it to Deidara who was standing behind her.

"Where is that brother of yours?" she questioned looking behind me and down the driveway.

"On his way up the driveway," I stated watching as he made his way over to us.

"He is in big trouble, making me wait so long," she sniffed. I rolled my eyes at her and stepped aside, giving her full view of Sasori.

"You're in big trouble mister!" she yelled stomping forward.

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Sasori said backing away from Ino.

"What didn't he do?" Deidara asked me.

"Make us late," I replied.

"Oh, so you want something to drink?" he asked.

"Sure," I said following him inside the house.

He led me to the kitchen where he placed the dish down on the black countertop. Opening the fridge, he grabbed a can of Sprite and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I said as I opened it.

"How bad do you think she is gonna punish Sasori?" He leaned on the counter across from me.

"Don't know," I said before take a sip of my soda.

At that moment Tenten entered the room with Hinata trailing behind her. "Hey! You made it!" she exclaimed before enveloping me in a big hug.

"Ten, let gooooo," I whined.

"But I missed youuuuuu," she whined back at me.

"You saw me yesterday."

"But you're my wifey," she said looking up at me.

"And what about me," Hinata demanded resting her hands on her hips.

"Well that's easy," Tenten said letting me go, "you're my wifey too."

"Awww, what about me? What am I to you?" Deidara complained crossing his arms and pouting.

"You're my big bro!" Tenten said happily.

"Aw, all the good roles are taken up," he sulked, opening the fridge to retrieve a chocolate.

"Dei, is that chocolate?" Tenten's eyes were big as she stared at the chocolate Deidara was holding.

"Yesssss," he said waving it back and forth, watching as her eyes followed the movement of the chocolate. "You want the chocolate? You want the chocolate?" he taunted.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, pouncing for it.

"Ah ah ah, nope," he said moving it away from her. "Give me a better role and then you can get the chocolate."

"I don't knowwww," she whined, trying to reach the chocolate.

"You already have us around you all the time," I said hopping up onto the countertop.

"So you are saying that I am a pimp?" he asked.

"I dunno, are you?" Hinata asked coming to stand next to me.

"Come on my wifey; take a seat next to me," I said patting the spot next to me on the counter. Hinata smiled and jumped up next to me, making Deidara look at us.

"So she's your wifey?" he exclaimed, flailing his arms around slightly.

"Don't worry, you might get one," Tenten said, grabbing the chocolate from him.

"Hey Ten, give me a piece," I said.

She broke off a piece of the chocolate and handed it to me. I smiled as I took a bite of the yummy goodness. As I drank more of my soda, Ino entered the kitchen with a messed up looking Sasori following her.

"Some help you are," he said looking at me.

"I love you to, you big stuff animal," I said before licking the melted chocolate off my fingers.

"Did you know that Sakura is Tenten's wifey, and Hinata's…."

"Wifey," Hinata supplied.

"Yeah, wifey?" Deidara asked as Ino checked her reflection.

"Yep, Sakura is my wifey too," she said. "And so are Tenten and Hinata."

"So what am I?" he whined before taking a bag of Lays and stuffing his face.

"You are my older brother, duh," Ino stated.

"So am I no one's sexy muffin?"

"Nope."

"Nah."

"I have a boyfriend."

"You're my bro; I am not answering that."

"But Sakura is Tenten's, Hinata's and your wifey; Hinata is Tenten's, Sakura's, and your wifey; Tenten is your, Sakura's, and Hinata's wifey; and you're…"

"Basically she's our wifey," Tenten said with her mouth full of chocolate.

"You guys are mean," Deidara said.

"You know you love us," I stated.

"True," he said flicking a potato chip at me.

I caught it in my mouth and smiled at him. "I have mad skills."

"So this is where the party's at!" Naruto exclaimed, walking into the kitchen.

"Naruto, you're too loud," I said before chugging down the rest of my soda.

"Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug," Tenten and Ino chanted.

"Stop," I said, "you know I always laugh when you guys do that."

"C'mon Hinata, let's go outside," Naruto said, grabbing her hand.

"You're not taking my wifey." I hugged Hinata to me and looked at Naruto from behind my pink bangs.

"She's not your wifey, she's my wifey," he stated puffing out his chest. I giggled as Hinata turned red.

"Naruto, you are such an idiot," Tenten said as I released Hinata from my grasp.

"Hinata, just go have fun with your hubby," I said smiling as he pulled her into his arms.

"Neh," he said sticking his tongue out after me, "my wifey."

"That's ok," I said, "I have two more," I jumped off the counter and rested my arms around Ino's and Tenten's shoulders.

"So you have an explanation ready in case Kiba's walks in and asks you why you are touching me," Ino questioned.

"Yep," I said as we started walking to the backyard.

"I would love to hear it," she said.

"I'm just giving my best friend a hug," I said shrugging as we walked through the back door.

The sun hit us as soon as we stepped out the door and I moved my arm from around Ino's shoulders to grab my shades that were in my small bag. Putting them on, I scanned the backyard and saw all of Sasori's friends and all of my friends.

"Well, time to go get some sugar kisses," Ino said winking before skipping over to Kiba.

"Looks like it's just me and you," I said to Ten as we walked over to a small table that was covered by an umbrella.

"There's my second daughter!" Ino's mom cried as she pulled me into a big hug.

"Hello," I wheezed out, hugging her back.

"What took you so long, dear?" she asked letting me go.

"Ask Sasori," I said taking a seat next to Tenten.

"I should have a word with him," she said, turning her head trying to spot him. She's just like Ino, blond hair and all. "I'm going to see if Deidara and his friends need anything, ok? And don't forget to go greet daddy," she said before leaving.

"She is just like Ino," Tenten voiced.

"That's the same thing I was just thinking," I said.

"You wanna go greet daddy?" Tenten asked.

"Why not?" I said shrugging.

We got up and weaved our way around Sasori and his friends to get to Ino's dad, stopping when we were right next to him. He gave us a big smile before flipping a few burgers over.

"How ya girls doing?" he asked grabbing a bottle nearby.

"Good," we both replied.

"Well, pull up a seat and have a drink," he said shaking the bottle in his hands.

"You know we can't drink," I said hearing the contents in the bottle swish back and forth.

"So?" he asked clearly not caring.

"Never mind," Tenten said shaking her head.

"Relax girls," he said before grabbing a plate and putting a few pieces of chicken on it. "Enjoy the barbeque." He handed Tenten the plate and went back to grilling his burgers and steaks.

I shrugged and took a chicken from the plate before turning just in time to see Naruto handing Hinata a bottle of sun block.

"Hey Ten, look," I said nudging her a bit.

"What?" she asked turning to look at what I was looking at.

We both watch as Naruto said something to Hinata causing her to blush. The next thing we knew he was taking off his shirt and telling her to come closer. She stepped closer to Naruto and then started rubbing the sun block all over his back.

"Ten dollars that she wants to faint," Tenten said.

"Twenty that she wants to ravish him," I said.

"A hundred that she wants to do both," Ino's dad piped in.

"But that's not fair! If you win, we each have to pay you a hundred dollars!" Tenten exclaimed, waving her chicken around in the air before pointing it at him.

"How bout I make it easy for you, eh? You don't have to give me a hundred each, just a hundred put together."

"Fine," Tenten said biting into her chicken.

Ino's dad is gonna win the bet. I could just see it from the small sparkles glimmering in his eyes. Why didn't I think of that?

"Ino's parents really remind me of her," Tenten muttered to me.

"Mhmm," I agreed.

XxXxX

"Hey Hinata, let's go get Tenten and Sakura," Ino said and she grabbed the pale eye girl's hand.

"Ok," Hinata mumbled following after the blond.

"Does your cousin like Tenten?" Ino asked as she came to a stop.

"Yes," Hinata said as she stared into Ino's blue eyes.

"We need to get them together, and Sasuke and Sakura too," she said pulling Hinata along again.

XxXxX

Tenten and I looked up as Ino and Hinata approached us. Ino's dad gave us a smug smile before whistling and turning back to his meat on the grill.

"C'mon, let's go," Ino said standing right in front of us.

"Go where?" I asked.

"Over there," she said pointing in the direction she just came from.

"Wait, I want food," Tenten said.

"Food can wait," Ino stated letting go of Hinata's hand to place both of hers on her hips.

"Tell that to yourself, pig," I said.

"Yeah, you always say we could do something after we get you food," Tenten said agreeing with me.

"Fine, get your food, but you better come over there after you're done," she warned.

"Or what? You'll punish us?" I laughed and Tenten snorted a bit.

"Maybe I might," she stated smiling along with us.

"My mom made the seafood dish; it's in the kitchen," I said. I watched as her eyes grew all sparkly before she turned around and headed inside the house.

"Let's go grab some grub," Tenten said pulling me and Hinata with her.

"So, Hinata, we have a little bet going on," I stated nonchalantly, waiting for her reaction.

"You bet on me?" she questioned as we stepped into the kitchen.

"Moving on," Tenten said, grabbing a plate from a nearby stack. "Did you a) want to faint when you were rubbing sun block on Naruto, b) ravish him senseless, or c) both."

"Um…" she blushed brightly trying to hide her face behind her long hair.

"Aw, little Hinata-chan is shy," I said giggling at her.

"Why is she shy," Ino asked walking over to us.

"You'll see," I winked.

"So what's your answer?" Tenten asked filling her plate with food.

"Umm…c," she said quietly.

"Damn, we lost the bet," Tenten said.

"What bet?" Ino questioned, one hand holding a plate of food, the other on her hip as she looked at us squarely.

"We wanted to know if Hina wanted to either a) faint when she was rubbing sun block on Naruto, b) ravish him senseless, or c) both. And she said both, making your dad win the bet."

"Her dad was in on it too?" Hinata voiced loudly. "You guys are so wonderful, you know that?" she muttered walking passed us with her food.

"Aw, come on Hina, don't be like that. You know you love me," I said following her.

"Yeah, you love your wifeys," Tenten said taking a seat next to her which was close to the edge of the pool.

"Come on," I said nudging her a bit.

She smiled brightly and nudged us back before all of us dug into our food. I sighed happily as I tasted the food. An equal sigh of contentment came from Ino who was sitting next to me.

"This is some good food," she said.

"Mhmm," I hummed taking another bite. I took bite after bite and soon enough my plate was empty and I felt full. I got up to throw away my trash and when I returned Naruto took my spot next to Hinata.

"Move your butt, that's my seat," I said kicking him in the butt.

"It doesn't have your name on it," he stated before sticking his tongue out at me.

"Whatever," I stated giving him one more kick to the butt. I made my way to one of the lounging chairs by the pool and I set my small bag down. I relaxed as I lay down in the cool and I pulled Pikachu out from my bag, resting him on my stomach.

"I wonder, if you were real, would you thunderbolt Naruto?" I asked watching the cute little thing.

I briefly closed my eyes and before I knew it, someone was trying to yank my little plushie out of my hands. I opened my eyes and glared at the culprit, realizing that it was my brother.

"Read my lips," I said. "Pikachu is now mine. Mine, mine, mine, mine."

"But he was mines," he complained, tugging Pikachu's tail.

"And if you got him back, I bet you that I will find him in your closet again."

"Fine, you can have him," he sighed out slumping against the chair.

"Thank you! Now go play with your friends," I stated tapping him on the head.

"Bleh," he said to me before getting up and walking over to Deidara who was by his dad.

"Chocolate, my love," Ino said shoving a bowl of chocolate in my face.

I picked up one of the Christmas styled Dove chocolates from the glass bowl before she moved it away from my face.

"Why is it Christmas decorated?" I asked.

"I dunno," she replied, taking a seat at the foot of the chair.

I opened the wrapper and took a bite of the small dark chocolate. I sighed out in happiness.

"It's good, huh?" she asked taking one for herself.

I finished the sweet and read the little message on the inside of the wrapper aloud so Ino could hear.

"Warmth on the inside can melt cold on the outside."

"Interesting," Ino said.

I read the little note over and over again before looking up, my eyes landing on Sasuke. Warmth on the inside can melt cold on the outside. Realization hit me, and I stared at the message again. It described Sasuke, it really did. He is warm on the inside and sort of cold on the outside.

"Ino," I said gazing at Sasuke.

"Yes, my sexy muffin?" she asked looking up at me.

"I just realized something," I said handing her the wrapper.

"What," she said taking it from my outstretched hand.

"It describes Sasuke."

I watched as she read it over before looking at Sasuke. "Hey, you're right!"

"I know," I stated.

"Omigosh," she semi-squealed.

"What," I questioned looking at her weirdly.

"Sasuke is looking at you," she said, her eyes sparkling.

And indeed he was. I felt the heat of his gaze on my face before slowly I felt it on my whole body. I avoided eye contact before realizing that my dark shades still covered my green orbs.

I looked at him without fear of him knowing that I was directly staring at him, but somehow by the look he gave me, I knew that he knew that I was watching him. I fought back a blush and watched as a smirk threatened to show on his face.

One of my pink eyebrows rose and before I knew it my gaze was no longer on his face, but on his hands which were slowly lifting his shirt. I lifted my eyes to his face and saw him smirking at me, his dark orbs glimmering with amusement.

"Th-that idiot," I spluttered quietly.

"What?" Ino asked staring at me.

"He's teasing me," I said watching as he stuffed his shirt into his bag.

"You could tease him back," Ino suggested wiggling her eyebrows.

"I could," I said smiling deviously along with her.

I took in the site of a shirtless Sasuke and watched his clearly visible eight pack.

"You would," Ino continued as she noticed my staring.

"I would," I confirmed.

"How about we all have a little fun?" She winked at me and called Hinata and Tenten over.

"You had a bowl of chocolate and you didn't tell me?" Tenten asked as she spotted the glass bowl in Ino's hand.

"Not now Ten," Ino said waving her off.

"But what's more important than chocolate?" she asked.

"Well, how about teasing the boys? Me and Hinata would have an easy job with teasing our boyfriends, but what about you two?" Ino picked up a chocolate and handed it to Tenten who greedily snatched it.

"I was just gonna do the same thing Sasuke did to me," I said laying back down.

"Ok, but what about Tenten?" Ino asked.

"She loves chocolates, so why not let her do something with chocolate?" Hinata suggested.

"Hinata, I love you!" Ino yelled hugging her.

I laid there relaxing listening to what the girls were planning, waiting to witness the excitement that was about to begin in a few moments. It was decided that I would be the last one to do my part and I was curious to see the reaction Sasuke would have when I tease him the same way he teased me.

"That's a cute plushie," Hinata said looking at Pikachu.

"I took it from Sasori," I said letting her hug it.

"Well, shall we watch and be entertained?" she asked sitting on the floor next to my chair.

"We shall my dear," I said taking Pikachu from her.

We both watched in silence as Ino sauntered up to Kiba with a smile on her face. Her hair was no longer in a high ponytail for she loosed it out before walking away from us. I watched as she wrapped her one of her arms slowly around his waist and the other was on his lower back moving down to the band of his swimming trunks.

She whispered something to him and he blushed as her fingers started to slowly drag across his tan skin and she whispered to him again before retreating, bouncing over to us, smiling brightly with her eyes shining with mischief.

"That was, if I do say so myself, sexy," she stated stopping right in front of us.

"Now where is Tenten," Hinata wondered out loud, looking around.

"There she is," I said pointing at Tenten who was standing at the back door.

Her first few steps were hesitant but she soon got into the feel of things and made her way to a chair next to Neji. She sat down and greeted him nicely before pulling out a few chocolates. We all watched as she took her time unwrapping it one by one. Picking it up, she brought it to her lips slowly before taking a small bite, moaning slightly in content.

I giggled slightly when I saw Neji watching her from the corner of his eyes before I nudged Hinata who giggled along with me. As Tenten finished off her sweets, the tips of her fingers were covered in melted chocolate, making her slowly drag her tongue across each finger. I saw a small hint of a blush appear of Neji's face and he tried to conceal it, quickly looking away, but his eyes kept drifting back to Tenten.

"Her job is done," Ino said happily. "Now my little Hinata it's your turn."

"But Naruto is in the pool," Hinata stated pointing to her boyfriend.

"You'll come up with something," Ino said leaning back on my chair.

"Fine," she said standing up. She quickly took of her shirt and shorts and handed them to me.

I saw Tenten watching Hinata, wondering what she was going to do, and I too, watched as she dived into the pool, popping up behind Naruto. Her arms went around his neck from behind, landing on his chest. She pushed herself up on him and rested her chin on his shoulder whispering something in his ear. He blushed and she giggled, burying her head in the crook of his neck.

"To think our little Hinata is so mischievous," Ino said proudly, wiping fake tears from her eyes. "Ok, showtime little missy; it's time to tease Sasuke."

I felt nervous all of a sudden, but got up from my seat anyway, placing Pikachu gently into my bag.

"Don't worry, we'll get him to look over here," Ino said assuredly, nodding at Hinata who in turn whispered something to Naruto who yelled at Sasuke.

Soon enough I felt his gaze on me but I dare not look him in the eye, choosing rather to keep them on the floor. Well, here goes nothing. I did as Ino had instructed me to do and slowly took my shirt off before moving to my shorts. I glanced up and saw his eyes taking me in, watching me from head to toe, and I felt sort of giddy.

Smiling deviously at him, I folded my clothes and set them in my bag before smoothly sliding into my chair. I crossed my legs, my right over my left, and looked him straight in the eyes, my smile growing bigger. I blinked and broke eye contact, satisfied that I hadn't messed up on teasing him and that I gave him a taste of his own medicine.

"Good job forehead," Ino whispered. "He can't take his eyes off of you."

I laughed lightly. "He got a taste of his own medicine," I told her.

"Mhmm," she said enjoying the way things were going.

I closed my eyes and relaxed a bit, letting the cool air tousle my hair and gently hit my body. I was listening to nature before I tuned the noise out, getting lost in my thoughts, my mind replaying Sasuke and his reaction to my actions earlier.

As I smiled inwardly to myself, I felt myself being hauled up by someone who was wet. My eyes shot open and I saw Naruto's blond hair and orange swimming trunks.

"Naruto, what the hell?" I asked trying to get him to put me down.

"It's time for a swim Sakura," he said happily.

I threw my shades at Ino who caught it and started hitting Naruto on the head for hauling me up like a bag of potatoes.

"Naruto, put me down," I said.

"If you insist," he replied merrily getting ready to throw me into the pool.

"No, never mind," I said but he didn't care. He threw me into the pool and I waited to feel the cold water hitting my body but it never came. I opened my eyes and look up, staring into dark onyx orbs.

"Um, hi Sasuke," I said as he held me bridal style.

"Hi," he said back, gently lowering me down into the water. I shivered slightly from the coldness before I got use to the temperature.

As I stood, I waited for him to remove his arms from around me, but he only removed one. I was going to point it out to him, but Naruto spoke, declaring that we all should play a game.

I looked over at Ino who smiled ecstatically at me before giving me the thumbs up. I blushed and looked away from her before realizing that Sasuke's arm was no longer touching me.

"Come on guys, hurry up!" Naruto yelled waving everybody over.

I walked through the water stopping when I stood next to Hinata. As we stood there listening to Naruto, I felt Sasuke's eyes on me and I dare not look at him, trying to pay attention to the details of the game.

"That was interesting," I muttered to Hinata.

"He's your knight in shining armor," she stated happily.

My knight in shining armor, huh….

* * *

**Me: So I hope you guys liked it! And the message on the wrapper was the actual message that I got and I thought it would go great in the story, lol. Please leave a review and I hope every one enjoyed Christmas and had a Happy New Year! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Me: I love the reviews and I thank you guys for commenting. **

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_Saturday was interesting ;)_

_**It was**_

I threw the note back at Ino who took it happily. In a less than a minute it was back on my desk and I swiped it up quickly, hiding it from sight.

_How did it feel to be held by Sasuke? Was it good?_

_**It felt….right being in his arms.**_

_Sort of how it felt right when me and Kiba kissed?_

_**How the hell should I know? I don't know how that felt!**_

_It felt right, like it was meant to be. Is that how it felt?_

_**Yeah….**_

_Told you he liked you, no wait correction LOVES you!_

_**Ino, he hasn't admitted that.**_

_Forehead, it's there. I see it, Naruto sees it, and Naruto even confirmed it._

The bell rang and I stuffed the paper into my bag, determined to either tear it up when I go home or store it away in a box somewhere with all the other notes that are currently taking up residence in my bag.

"Come on forehead, it's time for gym," Ino said pulling me out the door.

We waited for Hinata and Tenten by the water fountain that was across from our classroom before heading to the gym to enjoy a 'youthful' class period, or at least that's what we've been told countless of times by our other gym teacher, Gai. He's really sort of weird and he always wears a green spandex suit. Lee also wears one, and once he even got one made for Naruto. Naruto in green spandex is not that great of a site to see, trust me; you'll shudder repeatedly.

"So, what do you think we have to do today in gym?" Tenten asked.

"Besides the usual ten laps around the gym, I have no clue," I stated watching as Karin and her posse strutted through the doors, horribly if I may add.

I looked around the gym and my eyes landed on Suigetsu who was staring at Karin with a gaze filled with several different emotions.

"Poor Suigetsu," I said causing Hinata and Tenten to look at me curiously.

"What are you talking about?" Tenten asked.

"Oh right, we haven't told them yet have we?" Ino remembered.

"Told us what?" Hinata questioned staring at both of us.

I sighed out and opened my mouth to give them an explanation. "We meet Suigetsu at the mall on Friday. He now works in the food court in that place where they have amazing fries."

"I love that place. They have wicked tasting cookies." Tenten got all sparkly eyed before Ino thumped her over the head. "Oh, right continue," she said.

"So like I said he works there now. But anyway, I saw him and decided to go over and say hi before he asked if he could join me and Ino at our table to which I agreed. As we sat down he suddenly said that Sasuke likes me and I blubbered out a reply which made him repeat what he said to me. He said it was very obvious and at that moment Ino showed up holding our food. She was confused seeing Suigetsu sitting at our table but I explained to her that he worked there and then the conversation about Sasuke came up again before she questioned him about Karin. What he told us was interesting."

"What did he say?" Tenten asked interestingly.

"Well, we ask if he liked Karin and he replied, saying what if he did, it wouldn't matter because she is chasing after Sasuke. He explained to me that he is not hating on my guy, he's cool and a good friend but Karin's just chasing after someone who has the looks, the money, and the cool attitude."

"All of this happened on Friday?" Hinata questioned.

"Yes," Ino replied.

"We should have been there," Tenten stated.

"But I'm not done," I said waiting to continue.

"Well, go on," Tenten said eagerly.

"We told him that it is clear to us that Karin likes him and that her actions and the emotions in her eyes plainly shows that she does have feelings for him. Ino told him to wait it out and see what happens and we both gave him a hug to make him feel better before he asked if we were friends with him to which Ino replied that yes we are his friends."

"Awww," Tenten said.

"His break was over by then and before he left Ino told him that he can come talk to us anytime he needs to," I informed.

"Now I wanna hug him," Tenten stated looking over to him.

"Maybe later, after we survive this gym class," I stated seeing Gai appear.

XxXxX

"My muscles hurt," Ino whined as she reached her hand up to her locker.

"Oh be quiet," Tenten said, "you're not the only one who's hurting."

I rolled my eyes and opened my locker only to have the lock not open when I entered my combination.

"Not again," I said.

"What?" Hinata asked staring at me.

"It won't open," I whined out too tired to even try again. As I moved down two lockers to Ino's locker, I felt someone's arm go around my shoulder.

"What's up Pinky?" I heard Suigetsu ask.

"Well the roof," I said gazing up at the ceiling as he stood among us.

"Yeah, yeah," he said smiling goofily.

"Having any trouble?" Ino asked.

"Nah, I just decided to come greet my friends," he stated putting his arm around Ino's shoulder.

"You do know I have a boyfriend, right," she said.

"You do know that I don't like you like that, right," he said back in the same tone of voice which caused me, Tenten, and Hinata to laugh.

"So you're our new friend, hm?" Tenten asked circling him.

"Um yeah," he said watching her curiously.

"Awesome," she stated before glomping him from behind.

"Ahh, I'm going down," he stated.

"I am not that heavy," Tenten stated puffing out her cheeks.

"Haha, I know," Suigetsu said laughing.

"Bleh," Tenten said still having a hold on him.

"I could get use to having three girls around me but there is place for one more," he said smiling kindly at Hinata.

"Oh be quiet," Ino said giving him a whack to the head.

XxXxX

"Hey Teme," Naruto said nudging me in the side.

"What is it Dobe?" I questioned glaring slightly at my blond idiot of a bestfriend.

"Look over there," he stated pointing across the hallway where Sakura was. I turned around and saw what Naruto was pointing at; Suigetsu with an arm around Sakura and the other around Ino. Tenten looked like she was somehow grabbing onto him and Hinata stood right in front of them.

"What do you think is going on?" Naruto questioned.

"How the hell should I know you idiot," I stated watching as Suigetsu made all the girls giggle. I felt like suddenly going over there, wanting to know what is going on. I watched Sakura and she looked pretty comfortable, not at all minding him touching her, and I felt like pulling her into my arms and away from him.

"Teme, I think you are glaring a lil too hard," the Dobe said cutting into my thoughts.

"C'mon you idiot," I said shutting my locker close, already heading in the direction of Sakura.

XxXxX

I giggled at the stupid joke Suigetsu said before my eyes caught a small movement not far away. I looked up and noticed Sasuke and Naruto approaching us and I pinched Tenten who was behind of me.

"Hey guys," Naruto said wrapping his arms around Hinata's waist causing her to blush a light shade of pink. "Hello my Hinata-chan," Naruto said before kissing her cheek.

"Aww," Ino cooed.

"So what brings you over here, Suigetsu?" Naruto questioned resting his chin on Hinata's shoulder.

"Just came to say hi to my friends," he replied moving his arms from around me and Ino causing Tenten to jump off his back. "Well, I'll be going, Juugo is probably waiting."

"Bye Suigestu!" Tenten exclaimed.

"See ya," he said waving as he walked away.

I moved back over to my locker and tried the lock's combination again only to sigh in exasperation as it didn't open. Stupid lock, why are you doing this to me again? I treat you nice. I don't hit you with books when you don't open unlike some people, cough-Tenten-cough. I'm nice so why treat me like this?

As I talked to the lock mentally, my conversation came to a pause as I saw a hand reach pass me and did the combination for my lock. I only knew one person who I gave the combination to and that was Sasuke. As it opened I turned around to thank him but noticed how close we were.

"Thanks," I said softly staring up into his eyes. From behind him I could see Ino making kissy faces at us. If Sasuke wasn't right in front of me right now, I would have thumped her really hard.

"Aa," he gently said bringing my attention back to him. His dark orbs captured my gaze and I stood there waiting for him to move, but he didn't and I started to feel a bit awkward.

Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate and I pulled it out looking at a text from Tenten.

_Saw u were in a bit of an awkward situation so I just txted dis ;)_

I love that girl. As I looked up I felt my nose skim across Sasuke's chest lightly. Was he so close before? Ummm…well this is really uncomfortable, more uncomfortable than the time Ino and Naruto locked us in that closet.

"Come on Teme," Naruto said pulling Sasuke away by the collar. "Your mom said we had to go get a few things for her."

Thank you Naruto! I sighed and calmed myself before turning to my locker to retrieve my books.

"You could have kissed him," Ino said leaning against the locker next to mine.

"But I didn't," I said.

"So what was it like standing so close to him?" Tenten questioned.

"My heart was beating twice as fast and I smelt his scent all around me," I said remembering how it filled my nostrils just like it did that time we all took a ride in his car to go get ramen.

"Well, I'll see you guys later," Hinata said. "Neji texted me saying that our ride is here."

"Bye Hinata," I said shutting my locker close.

"Yeah, I have to go to. My mom wants me to be by the shop early today."

"See ya Ino," Tenten said watching as the two girls walked away from us.

"So are you ready to go," I asked Tenten.

"Mhmm," she said.

My mom had already dropped off my things at Tenten's house and everything was in order for my stay there.

"So since we barely have any homework today, I thought that maybe we can continue that talk we were having," Tenten suddenly said as we exited the building.

"You mean the one where we were texting each other in Ino's car?" I asked.

"Yep," she replied as we both stopped at the stairs. "Isn't your brother supposed to be picking us up?"

"Yeah, I guess he's a little late." I leaned against the railing and watch the clouds over head. "Hey Tenten?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"What do you think it'll be like to be a cloud?"

"Sakura, are you turning into that lazy bum cousin of yours?"

"Hey, Shikamaru might be lazy but he is a genius," I said proudly.

She laughed at me. "No, I have no idea what it will feel like to be a cloud," she said as she too gazed up at the blue sky, watching the fluffy white clouds.

"They float without worry and they seem so peaceful," I said gazing serenely above. "Ok, now I agree with you. I think I am sounding like him."

She giggled and nudged me before we both looked around, seeing little kids run down the sidewalk in front of our school.

"Sometimes I wish I was still a kid," I said.

"We all do once in a while," she commented.

"I know, but it seemed back then I got to see my parents more and everything was less difficult."

"I know," she said as she tucked my hair behind my ears like a big sister would.

My phone started vibrating and I pulled it out of my pocket, opening a text message that I received from Sasori.

_Sorry sis, can't pick u and Ten up. Have a guest speaker in class and idk wen I'll b out._

I sent back a quick reply and turned to Tenten who was looking at me. "Sasori can't pick us up; he's stuck in class because they have a guest speaker."

"So how are we gonna get home?" she asked.

My phone vibrated again.

_If u guys get a ride home, tell me who is carryin u, kk. And if u don't have a ride let me kno._

"What did he say this time?"

"If we get a ride, we need to tell him who is dropping us home."

We both sighed at the same time and I looked at the sky again, seeing a puffy cloud in the shape of a heart.

BEEP BEEP

I looked up and Tenten, caught off-guard, banged her hand on the railing causing her to wince slightly.

"Need a ride?" Sasuke asked.

"I thought you left already," I said as I started walking to his car with Tenten trailing behind me.

"The Dobe got in trouble so I had to wait for him," he informed unlocking the car doors.

"Well, where is he now?" I questioned now standing in front of the passenger door.

"He said he forgot something in his locker," Sasuke said.

"Oh," I replied. I started to fidget slightly under his gaze and my hands started playing with the hem of my shirt.

"Get in," he said.

I was about to sit in the back with Tenten, but Sasuke's voice stopped me. "Sit in front."

"Um, ok," I said before sliding into the front seat.

As we sat waiting in the car for Naruto, I gazed up at the sky again. Grayish looking clouds began rolling in and the faint drizzling of rain gently hit the car windows. The air condition in the car seemed colder now since the hot temperature outside went down a bit and I hugged my arms to myself to create warmth.

I sat there slightly cold, wondering how long it took Naruto just to get something from his locker. Just as the rain began to pour, I saw his blond head running in this direction. He hurriedly opened the door and climbed into the back, sighing as he came in.

"Hey, I thought that I would get to sit in front!" he complained once he caught his breath.

"Well, now you are sitting in the back," Sasuke said pulling out of the parking lot.

While Naruto continued his whining, I sent a text to Sasori telling him that I got a ride and that I would safely reach Tenten's house. He sent a reply back immediately and I sunk back into the car seat, watching the window wipers go back and forth.

XxXxX

I whistled a tune as I walked out the science lab. Juugo was still inside, visiting some of the animals we kept in the class. He really loves birds and studies some of the different kinds when he has spare time. I even accompanied him a few times when he went on his yearly bird searches on the outskirts of town. It was pretty cool and peaceful in the green forest.

A yawned escaped my mouth as I was walking to my locker and I stretched my arms above my head. My whistling came to a stop when I notice a head of red hair standing by my locker.

I passed by Karin and opened my locker, grabbing my books.

"Stop hanging around them," she suddenly said.

"Since when do you give a damn about what I do?" I questioned turning to look at her.

"Stay away from them Suigetsu," she said more demanding now.

"Since when do you give a damn about who I hang out with?" I questioned harshly.

"Last time I checked, you were my friend not theirs," she bit out, staring at me angrily.

"Friend? You have a nice way of showing me that I am your friend!" I said my voice rising slightly.

"Why can't you just stay away from them?" she questioned.

"Why do you care?" I asked coldly. "You never cared before. Why start now?"

"You are supposed to be my friend," she said to me.

"I don't even know if we are friends anymore," I said slamming my locker shut.

"What the hell are you saying?" she screamed.

"I'm saying that," he paused, sighing slightly, "you don't act like I am your friend. You don't know me anymore and I don't know you."

"Suigetsu, that's not true."

"Really?" I questioned.

"Just stay away from them." The way she said it sounded like an order.

"Don't tell me what the hell to do," I said pushing past her. "They are my friends."

I left her standing there by my locker, angry. I didn't look back as I headed toward the exit. But what I said was true; I do not know who she is anymore. She's changed and she doesn't even realize it.

And what right does she have to tell me to stay away from Sakura? Sakura did nothing wrong, she never did. Karin hasn't even uttered a word to me in months, but as soon as she saw me with my new friends, who just happen to be her 'enemies', she has to approach me and order me to stay away.

I don't understand what happened to her. She was never like this. This isn't her. And now after barely talking to me for years, she just pops back into my life to tell me to stay away from someone? These people are my friends. They are my only friends beside Juugo.

I released a stressed out sigh as I stepped outside the school doors. I gazed at the rain that pelted against the asphalt. Just because Karin told me to stay away, doesn't mean that I will. I have made friends and in the small amount of time that I actually hung out with them, I feel like I know them.

They are kind and helpful. They are even willing to help me in anyway they can. Karin is blinded by the fact that she 'likes' Sasuke to actually see straight. But it's not only that; it's the people she hangs out with too. They play a part in this; I do not know how big or small a part, but they certainly play a part.

They helped shaped Karin into what she is today. The person that is completely different from the one I knew when I was small. The one I knew, heh, the one I knew wasn't like this. She wasn't afraid to get dirty in the mud or touch bugs.

In fact, she is quite the opposite of what she is now. I remember the times when we went to the small park near her grandmother's house. We use to play hide and seek and she use to say that I had cooties, but even if I had the cooties she didn't care, she would usually just glomp me.

I remember her not caring about what her clothes look like or what she ate, but now, she makes sure she has something good on all the time and she checks the calories on everything she eats, not that that's a bad thing.

I just wished the Karin I knew was here. I wish she would realize what she has become and what she is doing. Where is the small girl that I knew, the one who played in mud, who smiled at me, who glomped me? The one who ate whatever she wanted when she wanted, and wore baggy pants and big t-shirt? The one who isn't a stuck up, snobby bitch? I miss the old Karin and everything about her.

There is so much that changed. I blinked before staring up at the gray sky above. The hard falling rain came to a small drizzle and I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head before walking home.

I let my feet guide me as I was lost in my thoughts and memories of the past. I looked up when my feet came to a stop and I saw the small park where me and Karin use to play at. My gaze swept over the small area and landed on the old silver slide.

I remember the game we use to play. I was always a big, bad dragon and Karin was the knight who came to slay me. She said she never really wanted to be the princess who gets saved from a big dragon. She just wanted to fight the big, bad dragon.

I shook my head, recalling all the times I tried convincing her to be a princess, but she just protested and said she was gonna slay me before stabbing me with a stick.

I didn't know how long I stood here in this park remembering, but when I finally left to go home, the rain became heavy again and the sky was darker than before.

As I now sat in the comfort of my small home on my bed, I pondered on what was to come. What would happen now that I am friends with Sakura? What about Karin? What will she do? Would she keep confronting me?

These questions raced through my head and before I knew it I was half-asleep on my bed. One question was stuck in my mind though, what will happen tomorrow? Besides the memories I was recalling, this was all I could think about before I fell asleep, curious about tomorrow.

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**Me: I hope you guys liked it! It had a bit of Suigetsu and Karin, so I hope you enjoyed that! Please review, I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks again to those who reviewed last chapter! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Me:** Thanks for the reviews! (:

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I laid horizontally on Tenten's bed, staring up at the white ceiling above. I sighed a couple of times before hearing the bathroom door open. "About time," I said sitting up as Tenten dried her wet hair. "You shouldn't be talking! You took forever in there," Tenten retorted, flinging her wet towel at my head. I ducked out of the way, causing my pink damp locks to smack me in my face, and watched as her towel landed on her bed. I stuck my tongue out at her and she just waved me off before going over to her dresser.

I watched as she combed her long dark brown hair. "Why don't you ever take your hair out from your buns when you are in school?" I asked. "Because I honestly don't feel like it and I would rather not have everyone's eyes on me."

"True," I agreed before plopping myself back down on her comfortable bed.

"We need some snacks, so I will be back," Tenten stated before waltzing out of the room.

I puffed out my cheeks as my mind started thinking about the ride home. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be, but it was really quiet. Even Naruto, my lovable goofball, had nothing to say. He just sat there quietly while Sasuke drove us home. The only source of noise came from the radio which was on a decent station, and if that wasn't on then the only noise that would be heard in the car would be our soft breathing and the engine's rumbling.

As I sucked in a deep breath, I paused. I sniffed the air a couple of times before shaking my head. I think I am crazy; I smell Sasuke. I inhaled a couple more times before finally deeming myself loony.

"Uh, are you okay?" Tenten asked catching me sniffing the air.

"I'm crazy," I stated nonchalantly like the situation I was in was normal.

"Honey, it was decided a long time ago that both of us are crazy," Tenten said knowingly.

"Seriously Tenten, I think I am going mad! I smell Sasuke, well, more specifically his scent."

"What?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I told you! I'm going loony, bonkers, cuckoo!"

"Maybe it's your imagination," she suggested.

"My imagination? Can my imagination suddenly bring up Sasuke's scent out of nowhere?"

"I dunno," she said, "but I do know one thing, I am hungry."

"Me too," I stated rubbing my stomach.

"Look what mommy left us," Tenten sang bringing the dish over to me.

"Oh, look, there's a note."

"Really? I didn't see it."

"Obviously."

"Oh, just read it."

"Fine. 'Dear Sweethearts, I made some of your favorite foods for dinner. I hope that you enjoy it. Dessert is in the freezer. XOXO Mommy'"

Tenten took a seat next to me and uncovered the foil wrapped dish before setting it in between us. The plate which looked very colorful was filled with dango, onigiri, fried calamari, and sushi. "This looks so good," I said as my stomach began growling upon the sight of food.

"Let's dig in," she happily said reaching for a skewer filled with dangos. Although we finished the food in fifteen minutes tops, we slowed down in our eating to savor everything.

"I want a puppy," I suddenly announced.

"That was random."

"I know," I stated.

"Why?" Tenten asked getting up to place the empty dish on her desk across the room.

"Because puppies are cute and if I get one it will keep me company, causing me not to be lonely."

"You're not lonely; you have me," Tenten said.

"I know, but the puppy will always be around when you're not."

"That's true," she said putting a finger to her lip, "but anyway back to the topic we were originally suppose to be talking about."

"Oh right," I said falling backwards onto the bed. "It's not a bad thing that Hinata and Ino have a boyfriend; it's just sometimes I feel sad because I really, truly love a person and I have no idea if his feelings are the same for me. Also, I know that some might say that I am too young to know what real love is, but I'm not. I'm happy for them, no one has to question that, but I just wanna be happy too."

Tenten fell backwards next to me. "I know what you mean because I sometimes feel like that too, but at least we have each other."

"I know." I turned on my side, lazily reaching for the tv remote. I switched it on to That 70's Show because I needed something to cheer me up.

"Oh, there's a new martial arts dojo that's not too far from here that is opening tomorrow. Can you please come with me?"

Before I could answer Tenten already started looking at me with puppy dog eyes. "Sure," I said turning my attention back to Fez.

"And maybe you could try out too."

"I'll just watch," I said.

"Or you can spar against me," Tenten said.

"I don't know," I said rolling off the bed to grab my textbooks.

"You're gonna do homework?" she asked.

"Better to start now and finish it than to wait for later and not be able to enjoy the weekend," I said.

Tenten agreed with my thinking and the both of us worked on our homework for two hours. I stretched when I was finished and grabbed my phone that was sitting on the bed.

3 unread messages

"I have three unread messages," I said looking at Tenten.

She picked up her phone. "I only have one and that's from Ino."

"Hmmm." I opened my inbox and saw that one message was from Ino, another from Naruto, and the last from Sasuke. Wait...Sasuke? "Tenten, I just got a message from Sasuke," I said shocked.

"What does it say?" she asked peering over my shoulder.

"I dunno."

"Well, read it," she commanded.

'Hey, wats up?'

"That's it?"

"Well, what did you expect? A great big declaration of love?"

"Honestly, I don't know," she said. "Don't leave him hanging, reply."

'Notin much, jus staying wit Tenten until my parents come back.' Send.

"That was unexpected," I stated before my phone vibrated.

'O ok. R they on a business trip?'

'Yeah.' Send

"He replies fast."

"I know," I said.

'So are my parents.'

'Do you think they are attending the same business meeting?'

'Possibly.'

I made a little bunny out of symbols and sent it to him only for him to reply lol.

'U like my bunny? Bet ur jealous because u can't make one as sexy as mine :D'

'Psh, I could make a better one.'

"Ooooooo, I see what's going here," Tenten said wiggling her eyebrows.

"Oh really? And what exactly is going here? Enlighten me Tennie," I said looking directly at her with playfulness lacing my voice.

"It's a cute little couple's quarrel," she said clasping her hands in front of her and batting her eyelashes.

"We are not arguing," I said.

"Technically, you are," she pointed out.

I rolled my eyes at her before turning my attention back to the electronic device in my hand.

'O really?' Send.

'Yes, really.'

"Dum dum da dum, dum dum da dum- hey why did you smack me with the pillow?"

"Oops, it slipped," I said giving her a sweet smile.

"Sure," she sarcastically replied.

"So what time do we have to go to the dojo?"

"Well, it's opening at eight in the morning," she sheepishly said.

"Say what? So you are telling me that I have to wake up before eight in the morning tomorrow to go with you to this dojo? Aw, c'mon, tomorrow is Saturday, the weekend; my sleep day. I need to catch some z's."

"Please, please, pleeeeaaaaaaaassseeeee," she begged, grabbing onto my leg. "I'll buy you an ice cream bowl: double scoop of rocky road ice cream, one scoop of vanilla, and one scoop of strawberry covered with whip cream. So pleeeaasee?"

"Fine," I sighed out.

"Yay!"

"Yeah, yeah," I waved her off.

"Whoops, I'm distracting you from speaking to your man," she said giggling slightly before disappearing out of the room with the empty dish that had contained our dinner.

I shook my head at her and looked down at my blinking phone screen. I opened the new message and saw a bunny that looked similar to mine except it had a few minor changes.

'This is ur bunny?'

'Yea, it's awesome, rite?'

'Sure, btw I'm being sarcastic.'

'You are mean.'

'Nope, I'm completely lovable haha.'

I dropped my phone next to me on the bed and switched my attention to the television which was now showing a movie. Deciding that I rather watch cartoons, I flipped through a couple of channels before finally finding one. My phone drew my attention away from the TV and I picked it up, expecting the message to be from Sasuke, but to my surprise it was from Suigetsu.

'Hey.'

'Hey, is everything ok?' Concern washed over me and I impatiently waited for him to reply.

'Yeah, I'm fine just lost in my thoughts.'

'Do you wanna talk about anything?'

'Nah, I'm fine. It's just that I have been thinking about Karin and how everything has changed so much from the past up until this moment.'

'Everything is really different, huh.'

'Very.'

This topic brought up memories of my past. Everything was so simple back then and although as a child there were some things that were never understood, there was never a pressing need to question it.

My parents were around more than they are now and problems of life seemed so nonexistent. There was no constant need to worry about love or the future, but things such as these now bring a heavy dose of stress into life.

As I see it, there is no room in life for a carefree attitude because in life where can this possibly fit in? There is always something to be worrying about. Taking things slow is the best way to now relieve some stress, but being able to be totally carefree is something that requires a large amount of practice. It is not a skill that is easily available for one.

Shikamaru's view of life is something that I have always wondered about. His laid back attitude and calmness in even the most unnerving situation has always made me curious. Just what exactly makes him so calm? Cloud gazing might be the answer, but only he can fully explain this situation to me.

'Hello?'

'Oh, sorry, I was thinking about a couple of things.'

'It's ok. I was just curious as to why you didn't reply back.'

'Oh.'

'Yep.'

'Yep.'

"Hey Sakura," Tenten called as she walked into the room; "I was thinking that after we check out the dojo we could go shopping and then grab a bite to eat."

"I would love to Tennie, but I think I'll pass. I wanted to go visit Shikamaru after our visit to the dojo. Can we reschedule it?"

"Yeah, it's no problem," Tenten said plopping down on the bed. "Besides, I'll have a little bit of free time to check out some things. I heard the weapons shop on the east side of town is getting a new shipment of items so I wanted to be the first to see what they have."

"East side? Are you going to go by yourself?"

"Sakura, I'm fully capable of protecting myself if that's what you are worried about. Rock Lee was going to come with me anyway."

"Well, okay," I said.

"He's enthusiastic about accompanying me."

"He would keep up in conversation," I stated.

"Mhmm," she agreed. "He and I have talked several times about weapons and the conversations are quite interesting."

"That's good," I said.

"Yep, it is. I would have asked Neji, but I don't know what his response would have been."

"It might have been awkward if he went with you because what would you two really talk about?"

"That's true," she said.

A yawn escaped my mouth and I stretched lazily. "I'm tired so I am going to bed."

"Alright," Tenten said readying herself for bed as well. I replied to the unread messages on my phone before snuggling into my pillow, waiting for sleep to overcome me.

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**Me: **Please review! And a thank you goes out to all of you who reviewed previous chapters.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I know it has been a while since I have updated and I am sorry for that. I have just been going through some things and also my graduation is right around the corner and I am going to be attending college soon. But here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine's obviously.**

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Poke. Poke. "Sakura wake up." Poke.

"Mmmm, not now Tennie," I said swatting her hand away.

Poke. Poke. Poke. "C'mon, we have to go to the dojo today, remember?"

"Five more minutes," I yawned out, pulling my blanket over my face.

"No nooowww," she whined out, yanking the blanket away from my entire body. "Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey."

Poke. Poke. Poke.

Swat.

Poke.

"Grrr, fine," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

"Yay!"

I rolled out of bed sluggishly and grabbed my phone to check the time.

"6:50 A.M.?"

"Well, you needed the time to get ready," she innocently said.

"I could have had five more minutes but noooo," I grumbled as I dragged my feet to the bathroom.

I got downstairs in twenty minutes and plopped down on a stool.

"I see you're ready," Tenten said smiling. I wore a red fitted shirt that had a black winky face in the middle, black jeans that ended at the start of my knee, and black Filas.

"Gimme food," I said pointing to my tummy.

"Here," Tenten said handing me a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

"Yum," I said before digging in.

After breakfast we set out to the dojo. As we walked, the light breeze blew our hair back and forth, and the smell of pastries filled our noses as we passed by a small cafe at the intersection. Shop owners were now placing open signs in their windows and a couple of young children ran around their parents, heading for the bakery a couple yards away.

"Hey, look at that dress," Tenten pointed out, staring at the display window of a store across the street.

I followed her finger and saw a light green dress on display. It was a halter top, the top having a patterned beading, and it flowed down to the floor.

"It would look good on you," I stated as we passed by a fruit stall.

"What about that black one," she said turning to look at another dress.

"I never thought that you would consider that one."

"Not for me silly, for you," she said.

"Me?" I questioned, pausing to turn and look at the object of interest. It was a black strapless dress with a silver belt which held a black floral pattern. The dress also contained velvet design patterns.

"I wonder how much it costs," Tenten said grabbing me and dragging me across the street.

"The dojo is that way," I said pointing in the other direction.

"I know," she said.

"Are we not suppose to be going that way right about now?"

"This will just take a minute."

"But won't you be late?" I asked.

"We have time; this is only gonna take five minutes."

I was pulled to stand directly in front of the black dress. Tenten had by now let go of my hand and was in the process of searching for the price tag on the dress.

"Ahah," she said pointing to the white price tag hanging off the left side of the dress.

"So how much is it?" I asked curiously.

"It's $48.97," she said, squinting her eyes just a bit to see the numbers.

I let out a low whistle. "Ok, let's move along. I do not have the money for that."

"It's such a pretty dress though," she said disappointedly.

"I know," I agreed, "but I don't have money for that right now."

We continued on our way to the dojo in silence. Occasionally, Tenten or I would point out something of interest before talking briefly about it. The dojo had at last came into sight and Tenten's eyes glittered like little stars on a clear night.

"C'mon Sakura," she said grabbing my hand. She pulled me through the gate and we walked up a fairly broad stone pathway to the dojo. "This is so exciting," she said bouncing all the way to the wooden double doors.

She led me through them and we stood in front of a very large open space. The walls of the dojo were mahogany and the entire training area before us was covered with blue training mats. Directly across from us was a wall lined with shinais, bokkens, and a couple of katanas.

In one corner there was a couple of training dummies, and to the left of the entrance of the dojo was a changing room with a sign above it saying "BOYS". On the opposite side held the changing rooms for the girls and off to right of the girls' changing room were a couple of wooden bleacher seats for onlookers.

"Well, Imma be over there," I said pointing to the bleachers.

"Alright," Tenten said before basically sprinting towards the katanas.

Luckily, I had brought my iPod with me. Setting in on shuffle, I relaxed and waited for the instructor to appear. Stifling a yawn, I closed my eyes.

"Sakura!" Tenten yelled.

I opened one eye and looked at her.

"What?" I asked before yawning again.

"Look at that katana," she said pointing to a spot above the entrance to the dojo. An open scroll displaying Japanese characters was placed underneath the katana.

"I find the gold and black hilt of the sword quite beautiful," Tenten said.

"Mhmm," I lazily agreed closing my eyes once again.

A couple minutes of silence passed before I jumped awake by the sound of the double doors being roughly shoved open.

"Good day my youthful students!"

Oh gosh, nooo. I mentally cried. Of all the people in Konoha to own a dojo it had to be Gai-sensei.

"My youthful classmates let us embrace the invigorating teachings of Gai-sensei!"

Damn, I should have known that wherever Gai-sensei is, his mini version, Rock Lee, is sure to appear.

"Tenten! It's so good to see you have taken an interest in this fine establishment," Gai bellowed.

"Ah," she said rubbing the back of her neck.

I started a mental countdown in my head, waiting for Lee to recognize that I am the one sitting up on these wooden benches.

"Are you here alone my youthful flower?" Gai asked.

That sounds so creepy.

"Actually, no," she said.

I had by now reached the number two in my head when Lee's eyes scanned the building. His eyes landed on me and I could see the bright shine in them when he recognized me. Oh, great. Please, please, please, spare me.

I saw him dashing towards me with a smile on his face. "Hello, my youthful cherry blossom," he said grinning brightly.

Guess I won't be spared today.

"Hi, Lee," I said offering him a smile.

"Are you accompanying Tenten here?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Will you be participating in our youthful training?" he questioned, taking one of my hands.

"No," I said slightly inching away from him. Don't get me wrong, Lee's a great guy, but he is just a tad bit creepy in my opinion.

"How unfortunate!" he exclaimed.

"Lee, I'm proud that you are radiating such youthfulness, but we are about to start in five minutes!" Gai hollered.

"My blossom, farewell for now," Lee said his lips inching toward my hand.

I could feel my muscles tense and I watched him; I mentally crawled into a hole to hide myself away. Just as his lips were about to touch my hand, the big wooden double doors opened and in walked Neji and Sasuke.

There was a slight pause in which we were all staring at one another. Tenten and I looked at each other before her chocolate brown eyes shifted to look at Neji who had approached Gai-sensei.

I looked at Sasuke and saw him staring at my hand with an undetectable expression in his eyes. I felt uncomfortable and I had a pressing urge to remove my hand from Lee's grasp. Lee quickly loosed my hand and rigidly walked over to Gai-sensei in a hurry.

I tried to make sense of what just happened. One minute Lee was holding my hand, the next thing I knew Sasuke appeared and Lee zoomed off in a hurry not bothering to even look back.

Gai-sensei caught my attention when he called out to Sasuke. "My rival's favorite student, are you going to join us in our youthful training?"

"Hn," Sasuke stated walking towards me.

"Shit," I murmured glancing away.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," I replied as he sat down next to me. I inhaled deeply and tensed slightly. My heart started racing and I hoped that the beating only sounded loud in my ears.

"I didn't expect to see you here," he said starting a conversation.

"I could say the same," I replied. Sure, over the past couple of weeks Sasuke and I have been talking more, more than we usually did in fact. All of this is foreign to me but at the same time I am happy by it. Yeah, I'm still sort of shy around him and would not exactly start a conversation between us, but I am talking nonetheless and that's a start of me trying not to be shy.

"Tenten asked me to come along," I stated.

"Neji asked me too," he said staring as Gai-sensei instructed the others into starting positions. "So what are you up to today?" he asked turning to face me.

"Well, when practice is done, Tenten promised to buy me ice cream. After that I'll be heading over to Shikamaru's and Tenten will be going to the east side of town to check out a new shipment of weapons at the weapon shop."

"Oh," he said.

"And what about you?" I asked fully facing him.

"I have to pick up a couple of things for my mom for her to prepare dinner and then I'll just be at home," he said.

"Ah," I said.

We were silent then, the only sounds coming from the training area in front of us. I watched as Tenten lunged forward aiming a hit to Neji's chest. He deflected it and grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back.

"So…you didn't want to join in martial arts?" I asked.

"No," he replied. "When I was younger though, I participated in a few different types of martial arts."

"What kind?" I asked, trying to make small talk.

"Aikido, Judo, Kendo, and Nippon Kempo."

"That's quite a lot," I said. "So you're like a Japanese martial artist pro?"

"Ah," he said smugly. He has such a big ego.

The next hour and a half was spent mostly in silence except for when one of us made a small comment. I yawned just as Gai-sensei declared that class was dismissed. I stood and stretched my muscles, feeling satisfied that I did not have to sit much longer on that hard object.

I waited for Sasuke to get up and both of us made our way to the others. Tenten greeted me happily, bouncing up and down in her spot; and Lee smiled at me in his good guy pose. I offered him a small smile before turning to Neji. He nodded his head at me and I smiled back.

"Ready to go?" I asked Tenten.

"Yeah," she said linking her arm with mines. "C'mon Lee," she said. "We're gonna go get some ice cream and then walk Sakura to the small bakery that's not too far away."

"Alright," he stated coming to stand beside Tenten. "Let our youthfulness show brightly to passerbys who see us."

I mentally sweat dropped as I imagined us walking down the street to the small ice cream shop. I bowed my head in shame at the thought of walking down the street with an enthusiastic Lee mentioning the word youthful every five minutes.

"Do you guys wanna join us?" Tenten asked while shyly looking at Neji. "I mean you don't have to if you don't want to but I just thought that maybe you might you know wanna come along?" Tenten shut her mouth after that trying to stop rambling.

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

I looked over at Neji expecting his answer. "Ah," he said receiving a big smile from Tenten.

"Well, off we go," she said pulling me towards the exit.

The streets were busier than this morning since it was nearing lunch time. I watched two little children as I listened to them complaining to their mother about being hungry.

"We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz," Tenten sang.

"That was random," I stated. "And I never knew that the Wizard of Oz would be ice cream."

"It could be ice cream if I want it to be," she responded.

"Oh really?" I asked.

"Yeah, really," she said sticking her tongue out at me.

"Well, since the Wizard of Oz is magical, then that means that the ice cream is magical since you claim that it is the oh-so-magical wizard; but if you eat it, does that mean that you would gain magical powers?"

"Haha, yeah it does, and when I get these powers, I'm gonna jump off a tree and fly like Superman," she said.

"We're crazy," I said looking behind us to see Neji and Sasuke looking at us with eyebrows raised.

"Of course," she agreed nodding her head.

"Now let's go get that ice cream! Justice Friends away!" she exclaimed.

"That is such an old show," I stated.

We continued walking down the street with Tenten acting like she was on a sugar high. Lee joined in soon enough, proclaiming the youthfulness we were radiating on our walk to the ice cream store.

My eyes brightened as the small pink and white building came into view. I imagined my yummy ice cream bowl topped with whip cream, hot fudge, and cherries. My craving for ice cream grew with each step I took and I was now bouncing along with Tenten. She dragged me into the store, leaving Neji, Lee, and Sasuke behind.

The register was manned by a purple streaked haired girl in her early twenties. Tenten bounced up to the counter and greeted her excitedly.

"What would you like?" the girl asked.

The bells above the door chimed as the guys walked in, heading in our direction. The girl behind the register immediately perked up when she saw them. The gum she was chewing obnoxiously was now nowhere to be seen since she managed to stop chewing like a cow.

"Can I have an ice cream bowl with two scoops of rocky road, one scoop of vanilla, and one scoop of strawberry," Tenten said pulling out her wallet.

"Any toppings?" the girl asked quickly.

"Whip cream, hot fudge, and cherries," Tenten said.

"Anything else?"

"Um….another ice cream bowl with one scoop of vanilla and one scoop of chocolate. The toppings are the same as the other order."

The girl rang up the items and quickly worked on our orders. After receiving my yummy ice cream, I moved to the side and let Tenten pay the cashier, but just as she was about to place the money on the counter, Neji's hand shot out to stop her.

She looked at him confusedly. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'll pay for it," he said.

"Um, sir do you want to order?" the cashier asked batting her eyelashes at Neji. Tenten glared daggers at the girl while taking a bite of her ice cream. "One vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone."

"Anything else?" she asked shifting her eyes to Sasuke.

"I'll have the same," Sasuke said.

"I'll have a scoop of pistachio in a waffle cone," Lee said. I saw the girl give off a shudder when her eyes landed on Lee.

Nevertheless, she added the new orders with the old and told Neji the new price. He pulled out the money and placed it on the counter. She handed each of them their order and took the money from on the counter.

I saw her scribbling something on the back of the receipt before handing it to Neji with a wink. Tenten's eyes were on fire now and she harshly ate her treat.

"Have a nice day," the cashier said to the boys as we walked away. Before opening the door Neji threw the receipt in the black trashcan and I turned back in time to see the girl let out a huff of breath before pouting in disappointment.

When we reached the small bakery, Tenten and Lee bid me goodbye and walked off in the direction that led to the east side of town. Neji said he had to get home in time for a family meeting and apologized for the inconvenience before walking off. And then there was two, Sasuke and I.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," I said about to walk off in the direction that would lead me to Shikamaru's house.

"Hn," he said following me.

"I thought that you had to go to the supermarket," I said confusedly.

"I do," he stated before eating the last of his ice cream.

"Then why are you following me this way?" I asked.

"Because I am going to walk you to Shikamaru's," he said simply.

"Oh." I started in the direction I was originally heading in with Sasuke by my side. The walk was generally peaceful and quiet except for when cars passed by us.

"Won't your mom be wondering why you are taking so long?" I asked looking at him.

"She'll understand," he said. The tone of voice in which he replied sounded like there was another meaning to his words, but at the moment I couldn't put my finger on it.

We continued walking on, passing a huge house sitting on the ground in all its magnificent glory. My eyes scanned the row of houses after it down to the last house. As we walked in silence, I thought about my ice cream bowl that I had finished eating a couple minutes ago.

"Hey,wait!" I exclaimed stopping mid-step in realization. He turned to look directly at me. "I thought that you didn't like sweets."

"I don't," he said.

"But you ate ice cream," I said perplexedly.

"I do tolerate some sweets," he responded.

I walked to catch up to him. "Like what?" I asked curiously, deciding that this piece of information is something that I would need to know.

"When I was younger I ate dark chocolate."

"Do you still eat it?" I asked.

"Rarely," he stated.

"And what about vanilla ice cream?" I questioned.

"My mother use to give me it as a treat when I was younger."

My mouth made an o shape and we continued walking in silence. I kicked a pebble forward and watched as it bounced forward on the pavement.

"What class are you going to switch to next semester?" Sasuke asked.

"I have no idea," I replied. "We took Algebra 2 because the choices were horrible. It was either Physical Science with Orochimaru -shudder-, Health with Gai-sensei, or Algebra 2."

"I heard that there may be more choices to choose from this year."

"I hope so," I said coming to stop in front of Shikamaru's house. "Well, here's my stop."

I looked up at the house before turning to Sasuke. "Thanks," I said while pushing some of my hair behind my ear.

"You're welcome," he said.

"See you later, I guess."

"Ah," he said turning to walk away.

I watched as he walked off before turning around to head to the door of Shikamaru's house. I rang the doorbell and heard shuffling from inside. I shifted from one foot to the other and blew a couple of strands of hair from my face. The door finally opened to reveal my uncle.

"Short stuff, what brings you here," he greeted letting me inside.

"The usual," I said.

"Shikamaru's out back," he said motioning towards the backyard with his thumb.

"Thanks," I said before darting off in the direction off the kitchen. "Hi aunty," I greeted giving my aunt a big hug.

"I thought I heard your voice." She laughed and hugged me back before offering me a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie.

I nibbled on it as I headed out back. I found Shikamaru underneath his favorite tree just sleeping the day away. "Oi, wake up," I said poking him with my foot. His left eye cracked open and stared up at me.

I watched as he stretched and yawned before sluggishly sitting up. "Troublesome," he said.

"Nice to see you too," I said plopping down next to him.

"What brings you here?" he asked staring up at the clouds.

"Life," I said doing the same as him.

"What's this all about," he yawned out getting straight to the point. When conversations like these happen, Shikamaru avoids beating around the bush. Although he is the laziest person I know, my problems suddenly turn into something that he should be concerned about, and he never turns me away.

"I dunno," I explained. "I just have this feeling that seems empty. Not only that, I feel happy too, yet sad. Empty because my parents are all over the place, flying from business meeting to business meeting; happy because of friends, family…Sasuke, and life basically; and sad because I feel this lonely feeling. But it's not only that," I paused, "with Sasuke everything is changing. We are talking more and interacting more, but I do not know where his feelings for me stand."

"He likes you," Shikamaru said looking me dead in the eye. "And I'm serious about that Sak."

"Everyone says that," I murmured.

"Because it's true," he responded. "You may not think it, but it is indeed true. The problem may be that you are trying to wrap your mind around the idea of him liking you and some part of you is thinking that it may be impossible for him to like you in such a way."

I fell back on the grassy hill and stared up and the fluffy clouds. The words were sinking in and I found truth in what my cousin was telling me. I did think that he might not like me and maybe that is the one thing that is holding me back from seeing what everyone around me sees.

"Maybe I have adopted a mindset similar to what you said," I admitted.

"Sak, Sasuke is one of my bestfriends and you are my cousin, one whom I love very much, and I am telling you this honestly, I know Sasuke likes you. Don't think he doesn't; just see what happens."

"I'll take your word for it and I guess I'll observe how everything works out."

He lay down next to me and we both watched the clouds above. "You're giving me a bad habit," I said smiling.

"Huh?" he said.

"Tenten said I am turning into you with all the cloud watching I do."

"Say what you will, but its helps to clear your head."

So there we lay, under a tree upon a grassy hill, conversing about events, both old and new until the sun starting setting behind the mountains.

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**Well, here's another chapter. Please review or leave a comment! I would love to hear what you think. **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I know that most of you are probably getting impatient with the lack of SasuSaku, but I didn't want a fast-starting relationship between them. I wanted to try to make it as realistic as possible. But I do hope to have more interactions between them soon enough. **

* * *

I held back a yawned as Tenten and I walked through the school gates. It was another tiresome Monday and all I really wanted to do was stay home and watch tv while eating junk food.

"I forgot to ask," Tenten said as we walked to our lockers. "How did it go with Shikamaru?"

"It went well," I said recalling my cousin and me laying on a hill talking about many things.

"Glad to hear," she said smiling while pulling me along.

"So how was weapon looking?" I asked.

"It was wonderful," she responded, eyes twinkling. "They had so many new items."

I watched as she let go of my arm and started counting off on her fingers as she listed them. "They had new katanas, kunais, shurikens, kodachis, wakizashis, tantos, kamas, nunchakus, sais, and tonfas."

I had knowledge of these weapons so I was glad that I was able to talk with her about them. While she continued chattering happily we arrived at our first period class.

"Well, I guess I'll talk to you later," I said since our seats were farther apart than in the other classes.

"Mhmm," she said nodding before heading in the direction of her desk.

XxXxXxX

"The first four classes took forever to finish," Ino complained as we walked to the cafeteria and I silently agreed. My stomach has been growling nonstop since third period and I couldn't stop it.

"Do you think we'll watch a movie in English today?" Tenten asked as she took up a plate and filled it with her food.

"I don't know," Hinata replied.

After retrieving our food we walked to our usual lunch eating area. I was about to take a bite of a baby tomato when it suddenly disappeared off of my fork. I looked behind me and saw that Sasuke had just popped it into his mouth.

"You are so addicted," I said. He smirked at me in return and sat next to me.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked stealing another from my plate.

"Could be," I said smiling.

"I hear wedding bells," I heard Ino whisper to Tenten. I kicked her under the table and smiled brightly. She glared at me and I tilted my head innocently.

"Something wrong Ino?" I asked sweetly.

"Everything is just fine and dandy," she replied back in the same tone of voice.

I reached for the small package of salad dressing and tore it open. Just as I was about to empty the contents onto my salad, I noticed that one particular thing was missing from my dish and I turned to Sasuke.

"Sasuke," I started.

"Hn?" he replied.

"Where did the tomatoes go?" I asked my eyes narrowing slightly. Every last one was gone and now my salad just looks plain and green.

He shrugged and took a bite of his burrito. I scanned his plate of food, checking to see if there was anything worth stealing that he might actually really want to eat. The only other objects on his lunch tray were curly fries, a bottle of red Powerade, and what appears to be a piece of fudge.

I swiped the fudge and his curly fries as quickly as I could and stuck my tongue out at him when he looked at me.

"Sakura," he said in a warning tone. "It's not nice to steal someone else's food."

"You stole the tomatoes from my salad," I said pointedly.

"Hn," he said reaching over to grab his curly fries. The hand that held his food moved farther away and I scooted away from him. I mentally cursed when I bumped into Naruto.

"No where left to run," Sasuke said smirking. "Now give me." There may be nowhere left to run, but there is something else I could do, hopefully.

"Make me," I said stubbornly.

Damn, I shouldn't have said that. A smirk of mischievousness bloomed on his face and he inched closer to me. I let out a string of curses knowing that I was trapped between him and Naruto.

"Gah, Naruto sick him," I said pointing to Sasuke.

"What the hell Sakura-chan; I'm not a dog," Naruto said turning to look at both me and Sasuke.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly.

In the couple of seconds I had, I wracked my brain for an idea, any idea. Suddenly, I felt so smart and so with a smirk, I grabbed a good amount of curly fries and stuffed my face.

"Gross Forehead! You're so unladylike," Ino complained.

I threw a piece of lettuce at her and smiled in triumph when it landed in her hair. She gasped and removed the thin green piece of food from her platinum blond hair.

After swallowing my mouthful of food, I took a drink of my green tea Sobe -I'm so addicted to the stuff that I walk with one to school at least every week. Turning, I smiled in satisfaction and stuck my tongue out at Sasuke who reached fully over and took his food from my hand.

"Hn," he mumbled.

"You're welcome," I said cheerily before waving his piece of fudge in front of his face.

"You have such a big stomach," he said.

I took a bite of his fudge and marveled at the sweetness of it before it melted on my tongue. I sighed in bliss before I felt the fudge no longer in between my fingers. Instead, it was in between Sasuke's teeth and he was just about to eat it whole.

"Meanie," I said wishing I could at least have another bite of the delicious sweet. The thought of kissing him suddenly entered my head and I shoved it aside, trying not to imagine the sweet taste of fudge on his lips.

He just smirked at me and consumed the whole thing right before the bell rang. Gathering my stuff, I stood up and walked over to the trash, ridding myself of my lunch leftovers. I met up with Hinata and we both started walking to English.

"Think we're gonna see a movie?" she asked.

"Fingers crossed," I replied showing her my fingers. She giggled in response and we walked into the classroom.

"Hello my fair maidens," Suigetsu said when he saw us enter through the door.

"Why hello there Mr. Prince," I said sliding into my seat.

"How art thou this fine day?" he asked us.

"Fairly well," Hinata said before giggling.

"And how art thou?" I asked.

"Hmmm….same as always my lady, same as always," he said, his voice decreasing as more students entered the classroom. I let out a sad sigh of understanding and turned to face the front. Kurenai entered at that moment and hushed everyone.

"I have a new assignment for you that is due in the next two weeks. During this time, you and your partner are required to make up approximately twelve short stories. Anything less than twelve will result in automatic grade deduction. Furthermore, you may create a bonus story but in order to attain any extra grade points the story is expected to be top notched. Grading for this project will be different than what most of you are accustomed too. Each story will count as a quiz grade and the assignment together as a whole will be two test grades. These two test grades will come from the average of all the quiz grades."

Naruto shot his hand up, waving it back and forth. "Kurenai-sensei, Kurenai-sensei!"

"Yes Naruto?" she asked patiently.

"Can it be any type of story?" he asked leaning over his desk.

"Yes," she replied. "Any other questions?"

"Do all the stories have to be written together with your partner?" Tenten question.

"No," Kurenai answered, "but," she continued, "I expect to have at least three stories that are co-written by both you and your partner. Is that clear?" Heads nodded and small amounts of yes' were heard around the room.

"All right, now for today's work," she began. I sighed and slumped in my chair knowing this class period will, unfortunately, pass by slowly.

I yawned sleepily and stared at the board. Diagramming sentences are so easy, I find we should just move on from this, but there are some people-Karin- that just cannot apparently grasp the concept.

I felt my eyelids become heavy as I tried to stifle another yawn, but I jerked awake when I felt Sasuke's arm against mine. I glanced at him and saw that he took no notice of this but just kept staring forward at the board. His notebook lay in front of him open and empty and his other hand was softly tapping his pencil on the paper.

'Time to draw a bunny,' I said to myself, remembering that one text conversation between me and Sasuke about bunnies. I pulled his notebook towards me, ignoring his questioning looks and picked up my pencil. In less than a minute I drew the same bunny from our text conversation using symbols. 'MINE IS BETTER' I wrote under the bunny before shoving the notebook back at him.

He snorted slightly and drew a bunny before literally shoving his notebook in my face. 'MINE IS BETTER' it said under his bunny in neat handwriting.

'Yeah right.' I wrote before handing his book back to him. At that moment the bell rang and I got my things together before leaving the classroom, heading for my math class.

I dodged people in the hallways and walked right into my classroom where the teacher was already waiting to start today's lesson. I greeted him quickly and sat down waiting for the rest of the students to pile into the room.

When everyone had settled down the lesson began and the teacher's dull voice droned on causing boredom to kick in. While shifting in my seat, a paper note hit me in the head and my eyes automatically went to Ino who smiled brightly at me.

"_Where were you over the weekend? You went M.I.A."_

**"**_**I was at Shikamaru's house after going with Tenten to the dojo and Sunday I was just home watching tv."**_

"_So you couldn't even pick up your phone? I was getting worried you know."_

**"**_**Awww, sorry pig. I'll let you know next time ok?"**_

"_You better bitch :P" _

**"**_**You know you love me,"**_I wrote throwing the note to her when the teacher's back was turned.

"_That I do. So on a different note what was that during lunch?"_

**"**_**What was what pig?"**_

"_You know what I'm talking about; you know, you and Sasuke."_

**"**_**What about me and Sasuke?"**_

"_Sakura, don't make me come over there and bitch slap you."_

**"**_**I dare ya to bitch."**_

"_Ok so I won't but come on, tell meeeeeeeeeeeeeee bitch."_

Le sigh. _**"Ok, well obviously you can see that he and I are talking more. And well on Saturday, after the dojo he walked me to Shikamaru's house. He even has been texting me a lot too."**_

"_Ooooooo ;) and what about today at lunch?"_

**"**_**You mean me and him joking around?"**_

"_Mhmmm."_

**"**_**It just happens naturally."**_A small smile made its way onto my face as I wrote this.

"_I hear wedding bells. I better be the maid of honor."_

**"**_**We'll see." **_

"_Hmph."_

I stuffed the paper into my bag and glanced at the clock, noticing that we spent most of the class period just passing notes back and forth.

"I would like you to complete the whole lesson for homework," the teacher's voice boomed bringing me out of my thoughts.

I sighed tiredly and looked down at the lesson in my book. Thirty-seven questions. Great, this will probably take up most of my time unless this section is easy. I looked around the room and noticed that Ino was grumbling about the homework, Naruto was doodling, Hinata was peeking at Naruto's drawing, Neji was listening to Tenten as she softly spoke about something, and Kiba, well he was sleeping.

I glanced at Sasuke and I saw him watching me. I ducked my head and began doodling bunnies in my notebook. Sheesh, what is it with me and these fluffy little creatures? The bell rang as soon as I decided to create an army of ninja bunnies. Hmmmm, maybe tomorrow I'll make my bunny army.

I walked with the girls to my locker and deposited my books inside before grabbing my clothes for gym class.

XxXxXxX

I felt sticky, sweaty, and hot as I walked out of the gym and to my locker with the girls. Today's class was just a bit torturous, running twenty laps and all. Apparently, Gai-sensei had a streak of youthfulness and decided we needed to run twenty laps before continuing our regular sport activities.

I stretched and heard a small crack in my back before I flexed my fingers.

"This place is so hot," Ino complained as I put the combination in my lock.

"I agree," Tenten said trying to fix her hair back up into buns.

I entered the last number and pulled on the lock expecting it to open, but to my disappointment it didn't. "Not again," I mumbled to myself, but Hinata heard me and giggled.

"Maybe it only opens when Sasuke does it," she mischievously suggested.

"Hahaha, maybe he has magic fingers," Tenten said while winking at me. I felt heat run to my cheeks and I turned away from them.

"Eh, are you thinking about those magic fingers Sakura? Hmmm ghosting over your skin, interlacing with your fingers, playing with your fingers?" Ino added before laughing.

"Shut up," I said blushing furiously while looking around, making sure that no one was around to listen to our conversation.

"Relax Forehead," Ino said patting me on the shoulder.

I exhaled loudly and turned back to my locker again and once again it didn't open. Maybe Sasuke did have the magic touch. I blushed again as the thought passed through my head and I mentally hit myself.

"Why does my locker hate me?" I asked out loud to no one while sliding down to sit on the floor.

"Hn, maybe it just likes me more," Sasuke's teasing voice said. I looked up and noticed that he was standing a couple inches away from me.

He leaned over me and did the combination for my lock and it open as soon as he pulled on it.

"No fair," I murmured under my breath.

"I believe it's quite fair," he said his voice sounding way too close. I looked up from staring at my black converses only to see Sasuke crouching down in front of me, his face a couple inches away from mine. I blushed slightly before noticing a small glint in his eyes.

"Hmmm," I hummed out. "Thank you," I said pointing up to my locker.

"You are so very welcome," he said standing up. I got up and retrieved my books.

"So about our project," I said while shutting my locker door closed.

"We can start tomorrow if you like," he offered leaning against the locker next to me.

"Ok," I started, "but where are we going to work on it? I'm currently staying at TenTen's until my parents come back."

"We can work on it at my house, but after school I have to run an errand for my mother so I hope that you do not mind stopping off at the supermarket."

"Not at all," I said as we walked towards the school's exit with our friends trailing behind of us.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," he said looking down at me, his eyes boring into mine.

"Yeah, later," I responded softly while quickly getting lost in his eyes. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ears and I blushed. He smirked before turning to leave. I looked behind me and saw the girl's giving me knowing looks.

Once Sasuke was out of earshot, Ino bounced up to me, latching onto my arm. "You have a date," she said wiggling her eyebrows.

"Ino we are just doing our homework," I said. "Besides, if that's a date then Tenten has one too," I stated turning the conversation towards Tenten.

"Well, looks like the both of you are gonna be spending a lot of time with the guy you love," Hinata said smiling.

Indeed we will.

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**So here's another chapter. I would love to hear what you think. So review?**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sorry for not updating for a while. I would have posted this chapter sooner, but I didn't really have a chance to work on it. Plus, I went on my senior class trip and just came back. But, anywhoo, thank you guys for the reviews! It made me happy to hear all of the positive feedback.**

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As I leaned on the school wall outside, I stared at the big white, puffy clouds overhead as they passed by. Another tiresome day of school had just come and gone and I was glad that the day seemed to go by quickly.

"Ready to go?" I looked to the source of the voice and found Sasuke standing a few feet away in front of me.

"Um yeah," I replied pushing off the wall, walking towards him.

We fell in step with each other and casually strolled across the fairly large parking lot towards his vehicle. As soon as I sat down in his Nissan 350Z, the same scent that I experienced last time filled my nostrils and I took a deep breath before letting out an inaudible sigh of contentment.

Automatically feeling comfortable, I sank back into my seat and placed my school bag by my feet as Sasuke started the car. Having the radio on placed the both of us in a comfortable silence and I watched the images zooming pass my window as he drove to the supermarket.

"We won't be to long," he said as we entered the store. Walking to the left, he retrieved a small shopping cart and set off to the vegetable and fruit section with me trailing close behind.

"So what are we looking for," I asked as he stopped in front of the tomatoes.

"Tomatoes, rice, fish, eggplants, daikons, and sweet potatoes," he said filling a plastic bag with tomatoes.

We continued shopping with me striking up a conversation every now and then. But I was pleasantly surprised when we reached the fish section of the store because Sasuke actually made his face similar to how a fish would look in a fish tank.

I laughed at his silly antics (because honestly who would have thought that he would have done that) before he picked up what we needed before heading for the other items. By the time we reached the checkout line, the sun was already beginning to set and more people were entering the store.

The cashier was a guy about my age and when he caught sight of me standing beside Sasuke he gave me a flirty smile before winking. I smiled in embarrassment at such attention and I swore that I saw Sasuke's hands ball into fists at his sides.

"Have a nice day," the cashier said directly to me before we grabbed the bags.

"Uh, you too," I said politely yet awkwardly while walking out the store with Sasuke.

When I slipped into Sasuke's car, I instantly fell back into my comfortable state and yawned slightly. I found that his car was extremely relaxing and that I don't mind at all riding with him.

"So," I started.

"Do you like onigiri and tomatoes?" Sasuke suddenly asked. Well, that was completely random.

"Yes," I said as we came to a stop at the traffic light. "Is that your favorite food?" I questioned.

"Aa," he said briefly looking over at me.

"Do you like double chocolate chip and espresso cookies?" I asked.

"What?" he questioned as the car started moving again.

"Double chocolate chip and espresso cookies."

"Never heard of it," he said as he turned a corner.

"Never?" I asked. He shook his head.

"How can you survive this long without tasting one? I am going to make it my mission to get you to at least eat one," I said looking at him.

When we pulled into the driveway, I caught sight of an orange clad person with shocking blond hair sitting on the front steps.

"What the hell is Naruto doing here?" I heard Sasuke mutter to himself.

"Took ya long enough Teme!" Naruto exclaimed as he hopped up off the steps and bounced over to us.

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

"Is that anyway to say that you missed me?" Naruto asked throwing an arm around Sasuke's shoulders.

"Naruto," Sasuke growled warningly, his tone clearly stating that the blond would be in serious danger if his arm stayed where it was.

"Yes Teme?" Naruto ignored Sasuke bringing Sasuke closer to himself.

"What the hell dobe?" Sasuke said elbowing Naruto in the stomach causing the blond to hunch forward from the impact. "Carry the groceries, dumbass." And with that said Sasuke grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the house.

"Teme! You ass! So much for brotherly love!" I laughed in amusement as I was dragged into the house and into the kitchen.

There before me stood Sasuke's mother with a smile on her face and an empty pot in her hands. "Welcome home Sasuke," she said before giving me her full attention.

"Oh my! Sakura, look how much you've grown!" she said pulling me into a tight hug, the empty pot now forgotten on the nearby counter. "It seems like such a long time since I last saw you. You look so beautiful," she gushed. "And look at your hair! It's growing back out! Don't cut it so short ever again miss," she stated now with both hands on her hip.

"Mother," Sasuke all but whined at her.

"Hush Sasu-chan! And where are the groceries?" she inquired turning to face him.

"Naruto is getting them," he stated nonchalantly.

"Sakura since you're staying for dinner, I'll make something special," Mikoto said turning back to me.

"Eh, it's really okay Mikoto-san; you don't have to worry about going all out," I said.

"Nonsense," she said pinching my left cheek. Damn, that hurts. I glanced at Sasuke from the corner of my eyes and saw a tiny hint of amusement bubbling cross his features at my pain.

At that moment Naruto walked into the room and paused taking in the sight of me standing beside Sasuke with Mikoto pinching my cheeks. He doubled over in laughter at my obvious discomfort before placing the groceries on the marble countertop.

"Hi mommy!" he exclaimed sweetly while placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Sasu-chan, why can't you be as sweet as Naruto?" Mikoto chastised as she stopped torturing my poor cheek. I rubbed the abused spot gently while watching Sasuke.

"Hn," he said crossing his arms in front of his chest with his head turned the other way.

"I think you've pressed one of his buttons," Naruto added as he slung his arm once again over Sasuke's shoulders. He poked the dark haired boy a couple of times before Sasuke threw Naruto's arm off of him.

"Aw, someone's mad," Naruto hooted.

"Shut up dobe," Sasuke retorted.

"Haha, look he's embarrassed," Naruto continued not at all worrying about Sasuke's murderous look.

"We have homework to do," Sasuke stated abruptly, pulling me out of the room and up the stairs.

He stopped in front of a white colored door and he turned to me with an embarrassed expression. "Sorry about my mom," he said.

"It's okay," I said understanding how parents can be.

Heavy, fast footsteps were heard coming up the stairs and before I knew it I was sprawled out onto the floor with Naruto, our limbs entangled in a heap.

"Naruto, you idiot," I mumbled using my elbows to hold my weight as I stared him down.

"Sorry, Sakura," he said sheepishly while rubbing his head.

I felt a firm grasp on both my forearms and looked up only to be met with Sasuke's face. He pulled me out of the pile I was in and placed me steadily back on the floor.

"Thanks," I said appreciatively before delivering a light kick to Naruto's head.

"Ouch," he complained sitting up to stare at both me and Sasuke.

"You and I both know that that did not hurt," I said crossing my arms over my chest.

"Neh," he said sticking out his tongue at me.

"Don't make me get Hinata," I warned as me and Sasuke walked through the door to his room.

I took in the familiar surroundings, being here a couple of times. Sasuke's bed sat right in front of us in the middle of the room. His sheets were a dark blue, and white and black pillows were neatly arranged on top of the bed. The carpeted floor was white, the walls of the room resembled the color of the bed, and the curtains for the windows were silver and black.

Directly across from his bed was a huge plasma screen TV, which had a Playstation 3 hooked up to it. The game system sat on top of a small, sleek, black table and two glass doors under the top of the table gave sight to what lay inside. Two bean bag chairs, one white and one black, and several games littered the floor. The other usual stuff that was necessary for a room was placed here and there and an air conditioning system blasted cool air throughout the room.

As I breathed in, his scent hit me head on like a ton of bricks and I felt myself relaxing, trying to hold back a sigh of contentment.

"It never ceases to amaze me that your bed is so huge," I said to him as I walked over to it, my hand dancing on top of the silky sheets. It really was big, considering that it was custom made to be bigger than a king sized bed. In fact, the width of his whole bed was the size of one king and one queen bed put together, and the length was longer than usual.

"You always seem to comment on my bed whenever you visit," he chuckled out.

"Because it's so huge!"

He chuckled at me some more and dropped his bag at the foot of the bed. I did the same as Naruto waltzed into the room, preparing to jump onto Sasuke's bed. I watched as the once neat bed became messy and shook my head at the blond who grinned gleefully.

I pulled out a notebook and a pencil before sitting on the edge of Sasuke's bed. He grabbed his blue folder and a pencil before joining me.

"You do know that you can sit more on the bed, right? It does have enough space," he said smirking.

"I know," I huffed.

"Well, why don't you? It's not like it's gonna eat you," he said getting comfortable while 'accidentally' kicking Naruto in his side.

I kicked off my shoes and scooted back further onto the soft mattress, sitting Indian style. I opened my English notebook to a blank page and wrote my name and today's date. I tapped my pencil on the book repeatedly while staring at the blank page in front of me stumped.

"Whatcha doin'?" Naruto asked peeking over my shoulder.

"Homework," I replied not looking at him.

"So early? It's only like 6:15!" he exclaimed.

"That's not early," I said sweat dropping.

"Hn," Sasuke agreed.

"What time do you go to bed then?" I asked.

"Like at one," he stated carefree.

"And what time do you wake up?" I asked again while moving up on the bed so I could lean against the pillows.

"At six because my mom comes into my room, trying to wake me up," he said.

"How the hell can you possibly have so much energy to last for the whole entire day from only sleeping for five hours?" I mumbled.

"Hn," Sasuke said coming beside me.

"But seriously do you guys have to do your homework now? It isn't due for another two weeks," he complained.

Sasuke kicked him, sending Naruto over the edge butt first, but while he was toppling over the edge he managed to grab a hold of my hand and pull me with him. I braced for impact yet it never came. Instead, I felt an arm wrap around my waist tightly and pull me back into something firm.

"Dobe," Sasuke's voice said right beside my right ear. An involuntary shiver went throughout my body as his breath fanned against my ear shell. I turned slightly to see his face, only to be met with him glaring down at Naruto.

"If I was going down, someone had to go with me," Naruto reasoned looking up at the both of us. I watched as his eyes glanced down to my waist before a mischievous grin appeared on his face.

I looked down also and saw Sasuke's arm wrapped around me, still holding me against him tightly. I blushed and suddenly became aware of his chest brushing against my back every time he inhaled. I looked back up to Naruto whose grin now turned devious.

"You know Sakura, I could be a good god-brother and stay here to make sure you two behave yourselves, but I think I need to go over to Hinata's. We do have homework to do after all," he stated while whistling his way out the door.

"Don't have too much fun!" He yelled before his footsteps could no longer be heard. I blushed at his implications and remembered that Sasuke was still holding on to me. I blushed harder at this before I shifted slightly.

His arm retracted slowly and we sat on the bed in silence. I felt his warmth leave me and I turned fully to look at him, finding him in the position he was in before Naruto attempted to pull me off the bed. I grabbed my notebook which fell on the bed and resumed my previous position.

I wracked my brain for an idea, any idea before sighing in frustration at the lack of imagination. I flopped onto my stomach and buried my head in one of Sasuke's many pillows. I snuggled into the silky softness of the black pillow.

Damn, his pillow was so soft, silky, and it smelled so much like him. I wonder if he would notice if I stole it. Well duh, he would. It was stupid of me to think he wouldn't.

I twisted my head in his direction and took in the sight of him. His eyes were locked on his paper and he was in deep concentration, trying to figure out something to write. His bangs lightly fell across his face and I had to stop my urge to reach up and brush them to the side.

"Did you figure anything out?" I mumbled.

"No," he replied looking down at me.

I blinked before suddenly yawning. Mmm, this bed and pillow felt way too good.

**Sasuke's POV**

I stared at my notebook hard, trying to devise some sort of idea and plot for the story project for English class. Ending up with nothing, my mind started wandering to a few minutes ago when I caught Sakura from falling off of the bed because of the dobe.

My arm had instantly shot out to wrap around her waist and I possessively pulled her against my chest, glaring down at the dobe who managed to sneak a cheeky smile at me without Sakura seeing. I held her like that for a while before she shifted. I slowly released her, very reluctant of letting her go.

I had settled back on the bed before she too did the same. When I heard her sighing in frustration, I smirked slightly, glancing at her to see the expression on her face. I mentally chuckled when she flopped down on her stomach, burying her head into one of the pillows I normally use for sleeping.

When she questioned me, I couldn't help but take in the sight of her lying down on my bed, with her hair fanning out around her. She looked so breathtakingly beautiful even though she was wearing basketball shorts and a fitted shirt.

I watched her as she blinked and then yawned. The word cute came to mind before I notice her eyes droop slightly out of drowsiness.

**Sakura's POV**

"SASUKE! SAKURA! DINNER!" Mikoto yelled from downstairs.

I blinked the sleepiness away and turned over onto my back before shifting towards the edge of the bed. I stared at my converses that were in a pile with Sasuke's, feeling too lazy to even make an effort of putting them on.

"How serious is dinner?" I questioned looking back at him.

"Why?" he asked not answering the question.

"Because," I said pointing to the pile of shoes, "I don't wanna put them on."

"Well don't," he said shrugging as he got off the bed.

"But," I protested.

"My mom won't care," he interrupted.

"Your dad?"

"Not here," he nonchalantly said. "He had to stay after work for a meeting."

"Oh," I said still staring at the pile.

"If it helps," he said his face now in front of mine, "I'm not wearing mine."

I blushed slightly and smiled as he pulled away. I walked down the steps in my white and pink polka dot socks with Sasuke whose feet were clad in his black socks.

Maybe I should get him a livelier pair of socks, like Sasori. But then again, I don't think having little puppets on his socks is something that would please him.

As we stepped down from the last step, the aroma of food wafted through my nostrils and immediately my mouth began watering. I let Sasuke lead me into the dining room where Mikoto stood setting out the food on the table.

The sight of food had my stomach softly growling and my hand moved to rest on my stomach in hopes of muffling the barely audible sound. Mikoto motioned us over before going to the kitchen to retrieve another dish.

"Sit, sit," she beckoned when she returned. I sat down next to Sasuke and folded my hands in my lap.

"Itachi will be here in a few minutes," she informed taking her seat at the top of the table.

I took this time to fully look at the dining room. It hasn't changed much since the last time I have been here. The walls were the same shade of beige that I remembered it being, and the gold crowning on the walls glittered from the light emanating from the chandelier overhead.

The dining room table was composed of a square, glass tabletop with glossy black legs underneath. The chairs surrounding the table were also black with white cushioning. The normally hard back of the chair had a red small pillow in front of it, so if one was to lean back he would feel comfortable.

In the middle of the table stood a glass vase filled with white and red roses and white and yellow lilies. Pictures hung on one wall in intricate patterns, producing a wonderful sight. Flanking the exit that led to the kitchen on both sides, stood two small waterfall fountains that Mikoto insisted she add to the dining room the last time I was here.

At this moment the underneath, holding the water and the black, white, and clear stones, was lit up in a light shade of blue. The water looked dazzling as it fell into the basin.

Hanging above the other exit of the dining room was one of those curtains made out of beads, and placed on both sides of the walls were small marble columns with luscious, potted green plants sitting neatly on top of them.

I turned back to look at the food before glancing at Mikoto who was beaming at both me and Sasuke. I watched Sasuke from the corner of my eye and I could see him staring at his mother with a stern look. My attention was pulled away from the two when Itachi walked into the room.

"Good evening, Mother, Otouto, Sakura," he said taking the seat directly across from Sasuke.

I watched as Sasuke shot him a small glare before his mother interrupted the two.

"Now that everyone is here, let's eat!" she announced. She reached for the first dish and we soon started sharing out the food between us.

"I hope you enjoy the meal Sakura," she said.

"You really didn't have to go to all this trouble," I said.

"Nonsense," she replied waving her hand about.

I looked down at my plate, well plates to be exact, and watched all the food. Mikoto had seriously been intent on making sure that this dinner meal would be pleasing to me. One plate was filled with curry and rice, another with sushi, one with onigiri and tomatoes, the next with Nasu Dengaku, and the last with broiled fish. Next to those plates, I had two bowls that were filled with steaming hot food- one with ramen, the other with Daigakuimo.

"And you can carry any leftovers with you," she said smiling brightly.

"Leftovers? Does she mean the food I didn't finish eat or extra food she made?" I mumbled to myself.

Sasuke obviously heard me because he chuckled softly. "She means the extra food she made," he said quietly.

XxXxXxX

"Damn, I'm so full," I complained as I sluggishly walked up the stairs to Sasuke's room.

"I'm surprised that you were even able to finish all of the food," he said laughing quietly.

Dinner had been a breeze. We ate and talked-mostly Mikoto and me- but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Well, until Mikoto made a comment about Sasuke and me. Things had gotten a little awkward after that until Itachi put himself into the conversation, bringing things back to normal.

I mentally thanked him for that.

"It's 8:53," Sasuke said once we entered his room.

"Really?" I asked now noticing how late it was getting.

"I guess I'll have to drop you home soon," he said sounding a little disappointed which surprised me. I guess that I never really noticed the emotions in his voice before because I was never really paying any attention to it, but now I could just tell right off the back the feelings in his voice.

"Yup," I said popping the p sound. "We could leave at 9:15."

"Ok," he said before dropping down onto his bed.

I shuffled forward and sat on the end of the bed, looking at my shoes on the floor. Having nothing to do, I started puffing my cheeks.

"So," I said. "Have you, um, thought of anything for the project?"

He sat up and shook his head at me. I fiddled with my fingers that were laying in my lap as Sasuke got up to retrieve the remote for the television. He switched it on as he plopped down next to me.

"Anything in particular that you wanna watch?" he asked.

"Nah," I said as I looked at him.

That was the end of the conversation as we settled down to watch some show. By the time it was 9:15 we were already watching another episode of it.

I dug my shoes out of the pile that they were in and slipped them on before shoving my books into my bag. Sasuke put on his shoes quickly and grabbed his car keys before leading me downstairs where Mikoto was.

"Here you go dearie," she said handing me a plastic bags filled with containers.

"Thank you for dinner. It was delicious," I said sincerely.

"No problem," she said beaming at me.

"Well, goodnight," I said.

"Goodnight," she replied. "And don't forget to come back!" she yelled after us as we were about to exit the house.

I laughed as Sasuke shook his head muttering about his mother's giddiness. I yawned as we were halfway there.

Pullimg out my phone, I texted Tenten to let her know that we were on the way and her reply was almost immediate. As the car came to a stop in front her house, I turned to look at Sasuke and my breath hitched.

The pale moonlight lit up his features. His hair reflection the raven color it was and his skin seemed to glow. My eyes caught his and onyx clashed with emerald. I felt myself being drawn in to him. As he turned slightly, the moonlight bounced off his eyes and I was captivated.

"Goodnight," I managed to whisper as I grabbed my bag.

"Goodnight," he murmured back before I closed the car door.

He sat there waiting until I safely got inside the house. When he pulled off, Tenten took that as her cue to strike and immediately bombarded me with questions. I sighed as she followed me to her room. Tonight seems like it would be a long night.

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**So? Review? I wanna know what you thought about it. I know this chapter was late, but I managed to get it out. I hope that you guys enjoyed it. **

**BTW: **

Daigakuimo are deep-fried and sugar coated satsumaimo sweet potatoes. And Nasu Dengaku is grilled Japanese eggplant with a miso sauce on top.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Love the reviews guys! Well, here's another chapter!**

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All through my first four classes I have been zoning out, just trying to think of an idea for my and Sasuke's English project. I mean there are so many possibilities, but just trying to narrow it down seems difficult. It has so many genres to choose from, and I have no idea which one I want to write about.

"Sakura, can you tell me the answer to question 4?" Kakashi asked. Fortunately, he is our substitute teacher today since our Algebra teacher called in sick.

"23," I stated unsurely.

"Correct," he said moving on.

The only reason that he is actually going over this is because he has to report back to our original teacher what we did.

XxXxXxX

"So, Sakura," Tenten started as she kicked the soccer ball around, "are you going over to Sasuke's again?"

"Maybe," I replied as I managed to get the ball away from her.

Ino came after me then and attempted to kick the ball to the side but I avoided her and passed it to Naruto who kicked it to Hinata who passed it to Sasuke who made a goal.

"5-2! C'mon guys! What are you doing? They're wiping the floor with your asses!" Anko hollered.

"My team is showing such youthfulness it brings me to tears," Gai sniffed as he watched us.

"Would you shut up?" Anko yelled. "You guys suck!" she screamed out.

"NO, I DON'T!" Tenten screamed back defending herself.

"WELL GET THE DAMN BALL!"

"OKAY! I WILL!" Tenten yelled pursuing the ball that was heading down the field towards the goal.

The defenders shifted into action and got the ball away from Karin. She stood still and screamed in frustration as Kiba kicked the ball down to Naruto who passed it to me. I headed down to where Juugo was in the goalie box. I kicked the ball, sending it soaring into the air and Naruto, who caught up to me, headed it in the direction of Sasuke who kicked it straight into the goal.

Juugo retrieved the ball and kicked it way out into the field where Neji was. Neji started towards the goal and I watched as Sasuke sprinted pass me to get the ball. Kiba also headed towards Neji, his teammate, intending to help him out.

After about twenty more minutes of playing we ended up winning 7-5.

"It was a good game Anko!" Gai bellowed bringing a hand to Anko's back.

"Shut up!" she said elbowing him before walking off. "Stupid brats," she mumbled. "Why'd I have to have Karin and Ami on the team? They are so disabled."

I watched in amusement as she took out her anger on a nearby staff member that usually worked behind the counter in the cafeteria. Poor fellow; he looks like he is about to soil his pants.

"You got lucky," Tenten said wrapping an arm around my shoulder as we walked towards the school building.

"Nah, I just got mad skills," I said.

"Psh, mad skills my ass," she snorted out.

"I'm awesome and you know it." I stuck my tongue out at her.

"I never knew you could play soccer like that," Sasuke said catching up to me.

"Well, um, thanks, I guess," I uncertainly mumbled while playing with the wristband on my left hand.

"So, I'll see you later?" Tenten questioned.

"Yeah," I replied, nodding at her before she departed from my side, tackling Ino who was a couple feet away. Ino shrieked as she and Tenten tumbled down to the ground. I smiled at the scene and rolled my eyes at the two.

"Please tell me that your mom won't be making something spectacular for dinner."

"I'll tell her not to overdo it," he chuckled out as we gathered our belongings from our lockers.

XxXxXxX

"Hello Sakura! How have you been? Was your day good? Did you eat all of the food?"

I was barely inside the kitchen when Mikoto bombarded me with questions. She looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answers with a huge smile on her face.

"I'm good and today was fine. I shared the food with one of my friends for lunch today. So how was your day?"

"Oh, you know the usual," she replied. "Cooking, cleaning, washing the dishes, and watching television." She said the last part with a giggle. "Ever since Fugaku requested for me to take a break, I have been here, home alone while my two little adorable kiddies go to school."

I slightly laughed when Sasuke murmured under his breath about not being a kid. "But this vacation time has been so relaxing. If only I could go to the beach at least once before I return to my job," she said wishfully.

"Why not go over the weekend?" I asked which earned me a what-the-hell-are-you-doing look from Sasuke.

"I would but I want Fugaku to be there," she whined.

"Mother," Sasuke interrupted, "we have homework to get done. So please excuse us."

"Fine," she pouted.

"Don't overdo it with dinner," he added as an after thought as we walked out the room.

Up in his room, I laid down flat on my stomach while he sat close by me. "Okay, so what genre are you thinking of for a story?" I questioned glancing to him.

"Maybe adventure," he replied shifted his position slightly.

"You?"

"Undecided," I responded.

I tapped my pencil on my chin a couple of times while contemplating on what I exactly want to do. Finally, I decided on writing a romance and tragedy story. I put my pencil to work, leaving a blank space to the top of my page for the title.

Half-way into typing my first sentence I felt a light pressure on my back and turned my head to look back only to find Sasuke lying down with his head resting on me. I shifted slightly into a more comfortable position and continued working on my story.

"Found something?" Sasuke asked.

"Mhmm," I hummed out as I flipped the page to continue writing.

"What's it about?" he curiously questioned.

"You'll see," I responded.

I was so engrossed in my writing that I didn't even notice the absence of pressure on my back or that Sasuke had left the room. It was only when he came back in with a tray that was holding our dinner that I became aware of his absence.

"What's that?" I asked inquisitively bouncing up into a sitting position.

"Fried rice and spicy chicken," he answered. He gingerly sat the tray down on the bed and handed me the remote control for the tv before leaving the room again.

Switching it on, I intended to look for the show we were watching the previous day. Scrolling through the shows, I found out that it was going to show in about twenty minutes and clicked on the proper station.

I moved so that my back was against the headboard and all the while I watched the tv as commercials played. Sasuke soon walked back into the room, bringing with him two cups of green tea.

"The show we were watching is about to start," I said as he sat down next to me.

As we ate, we were wrapped up in watching the show. I laughed at the stupidity and snorted at the insults. Sasuke even chuckled a bit from time to time, but I never fully heard him laugh. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever have.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by my vibrating phone. Picking it up, I noticed that it was my mother calling.

"It's my mom," I explained.

"I'll take these down," Sasuke said motioning towards the now empty dishes.

Once he was out the door, I answered the phone.

"Hello?" I asked.

"_Sakura! What took you so long to answer?" _

"Sorry, but I was eating," I said knowing full and well that the phone rang after I ate.

"_It's okay,"_ she replied. _"So we were supposed to return on Friday, but our boss has extended the business meeting for another couple of days."_

"Oh," was all I managed to say, feeling a familiar wave of disappointment wash over me.

"_Could you be a dear and please tell Sasori?"_ she questioned.

"Sure mom," I answered.

"_So how's school dear?"_ she inquired.

"Same old, same old," I replied.

"_Nothing new?"_ she furthered questioned.

"Just an English project that I have to do with Sasuke," I responded as I twirled a strand of my pink hair between my fingers.

"_So how are you and Sasuke?" _she suggestively asked. I could practically feel the sly smile she probably had etched on her face right at this moment.

"Mom!" I half-yelled, half-whispered into the phone.

"_What?"_ she innocently asked.

"You know what," I stated. Even though I miss this kind of time with my mother, it's sometimes relieving not having to bring up things that might eventually lead to something awkward.

"_No, I don't know. Enlighten me,"_ she challenged. Sometimes she can be exactly like me.

"Mom," I whined.

"_Are you and Sasuke together yet?"_ she bluntly questioned.

"What? No! Sasuke and I are not together," I half-screamed into my cell.

"_Gah, you two,"_ she mumbled. I could clearly see her in my mind shaking her head at me. _"Seriously, it's so obvious," _she stated.

"Can we please get off the subject of me and Sasuke and if we are together yet?" I pleaded.

"_Fine,"_ she replied. _"Sooooo, I was talking with your grandma-"_

"Which one?" I interrupted.

"_My mom," _she answered.

"Okay," I said while flipping onto my stomach.

"_And she invited us over for Christmas vacation,"_ she explained.

"Really?"

"_Mhmm," _my mom hummed out, _"and she and your grandfather are already cleaning up,"_ she added.

"But it's the middle of October," I said.

"_I know, but apparently and I quote, 'We have a lot of stuff to do to get this place ready'."_

"I don't even know how long Christmas vacation is," I thought aloud to myself.

"_I bought you a kimono!"_ my mother giddily explained, completely changing the conversation.

"Oh really?" I asked half-excited, half not.

"_Mhmm! It's red, black, white, and gold!"_ She happily informed.

"Mom, I'm gonna say this seriously," I elucidated. "How many cups of caffeinated coffee did you have today?"

"_Ummm…counting the one I had before I called you makes eleven,"_ she said before giggling wildly. I heard a crash in the background before my mother giggled out a whoops.

"What was that?" I asked oddly.

"_Nothing,"_ she replied.

"Is dad with you?" I questioned.

"_Nope, he went to buy dinner,"_ she stated before I heard another crash.

"Mom," I said sternly.

"_What?"_ she asked obliviously.

"What was that?" I asked enunciating every word.

"_Just this stupid coffee table that always seems to be in the way,"_ she responded.

I sighed in exasperation while running a hand down my face. What am I to do with her?

XxXxXxX

**Sasuke's POV**

I had returned to the kitchen to carry our empty dishes and to give Sakura a little privacy. Naruto had told me once that the relationship between her and her parents was not what it use to be. That made me reflect back on my relationship with my parents.

I have always had a stronger relationship with my mom than with my dad. His expectations were set way above the stars and his approval of Itachi always caused me to feel like I was not good enough in his eyes. But that feeling made me motivated to become better.

Over the years, I managed to at least get a couple words out of him, but these past months shocked me in a sense so to speak when he actually acknowledged what I did. My mother might have played a part in making him recognize my efforts and finally he has chosen to see.

"Ah, Sasuke!" my mother exclaimed, turning from the kitchen sink to see me. "How was dinner?"

"It was good as always mother," I replied respectfully.

"Did Sakura enjoy it?" she questioned now fully turning to face me.

"Aa," I mumbled out.

"I made dessert," she singed out, waltzing over to the refrigerator. She pulled out a cheesecake and placed it on the counter. "The chocolate gives it a little bitter taste," she said referring to the crust. "And I added chocolate chips and drizzled the top with chocolate and caramel," she pointed it out to me.

"Sakura insists that you not go to such lengths for her," I said.

"Nonsense," my mother said waving a hand at me. She grabbed two plates and forks before cutting out even slices. "Now hurry along," she ushered me out the door. "Can't keep your love waiting," she snickered as she shoved me to the base of the stairs.

I rolled my eyes at her and started up to my room but paused outside my door when Sakura mentioned my name.

"Can we please get off the subject of me and Sasuke and if we are together yet?" I heard her say.

I guess her mom gave up the subject because she immediately started talking about something completely different. I waited a couple of minutes as the conversation continued.

XxXxXxX

**Sakura's POV**

Gah, can someone just end this already I thought as my mom droned on and on. "Oh my gosh!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"What!" I cried out in alarm.

"My baby is graduating from high school this year," she said sniffling into the phone.

"Really?" I asked incredulously. That's what she scared me with by crying out like that. "Hey mom," I stated as she sang off key. She ignored me. Sigh. "Mom!" I tried again.

"Yes sweety?" she asked.

"I have to go. I have homework to finish," I stated.

"Alright," she said back. "Goodnight sweety."

"Goodnight mom," I responded.

"Love you," she said.

"Love you too," I replied back before hanging up the phone.

I dropped onto the pillow in front of me and pushed my phone away. A couple of minutes later I heard footsteps entering the room and I turned my head to see Sasuke walking towards the bed with two little plates.

"Dessert," he simply said as I sat up.

"Oooooh, it looks good," I said accepting the plate he held out to me.

He watched me as I took a bite of the delicious looking cheesecake.

"Well?" he asked.

"It's good," I said.

After eating the cheesecake I spent the rest of the time working on my story. By the time I finished half of the story, it was time for me to go home.

"Bye," I said as I got out of the car.

"Bye," he said back the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

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**How'd you guys like it? It had some mother-daughter interaction and mother-son interaction. Reviews? I'll love 'em. :p **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I'm the Salutatorian of my graduating class! I was aiming for Valedictorian but eh, it's ok. I'm happy. Thanks for the reviews they also made me happy! **

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Today I felt exceedingly happy and the reason for it, well, I honestly have no clue. What I do know is that today I am finally going home to my own house after a week of staying with Tenten. I guess that in itself is one of the reasons why my mood is so good.

"Good morning," I sang to Hinata as I approached both her and my locker.

"What's got you so happy on a Monday morning?" she asked.

"I have absolutely no clue," I said as my lock clicked open on the first try. I grabbed my textbook and both of us walked to our first period class with me humming and bouncing all the way.

"Morning," I said happily to Sasuke who in turned glared at me. Woah, what's up with the glaring?

"Not everybody could be so happy," he sneered at me angrily. I was looked at him with what I assumed to be a shocked expression.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked all happiness draining from my voice.

"Just go sit down," he said coldly.

I looked back at Hinata who was standing behind me the whole time and saw a worried expression on her face. I slowly moved towards my seat with her in tow. Turning my head to her, I whispered in the smallest voice.

"Do you think that I did something wrong?" I asked unsurely.

"Maybe it's not you, but something else," she suggested equally soft.

"But the way he looked at me," I mumbled out, my eyes drifting towards his sitting figure.

"Maybe he is going through something, and the only way he sees best is to push others away," she explained.

I couldn't help but wonder what would cause him to suddenly act this way towards me. All through first, second, and third period I have been unfocused, glancing at him or just openly staring before my eyes glazed over in wonder as my mind tried to piece together some sort of explanation for his actions.

By the time lunch came, I decided to not make an appearance and instead went to the office to enjoy my lunch with the person who I call my cousin.

"So lemme get this straight. You two aren't together?" Tsunade asked for the third time.

"No, we are not," I answered back taking a bite out of my onigiri.

"And why the hell not?" she asked loudly.

"Because we're not," I replied.

"And what happened today again?" she questioned sitting back in her cushioned chair.

"Well, he glared at me," I informed.

"For what?" she asked her voice getting loud again.

"I don't know," I stated. "He's in a mood, I guess, so that's why I decided it might have been better to come here for lunch," I explained.

"Geez, you two are something," she muttered before she went searching through her desk. "Ah, found it!" she announced, pulling out a bottle of clear liquid.

"Honestly, though," she continued before taking a gulp of the alcoholic beverage, "you two have liked each other for how long now? All your life? And with the amount of time you're spending with each other, I thought that something might have at least happened. You know, a little kiss or something, but nope, nada, zip."

"Tsunade," I fumbled out, my face heating up at the thought of me and Sasuke kissing.

"What?" she asked downing another gulp.

I just shook my head at her and sighed before finishing up my lunch. Saying goodbye, I walked to my next class and sat down before taking out my notebook to continue working on my story. When the bell rang, students began to pile in one by one and I watched as Sasuke walked in with Naruto, who was looking at him worriedly.

I ducked my head back down and continued writing until the lesson started. I avoided looking at Sasuke for fear of him catching me staring.

As soon as the dismissal bell rang, I shot out of the classroom, hoping to get to my locker and the next class while avoiding other students and Sasuke. Unfortunately, by the time I got my locker open the hallway was filled with students.

Deciding to let the crowd die down a little, I leaned against my locker and watch as Hinata appeared from the crowd.

"Hello," she greeted as she went to her locker to get her book.

"Hey," I said back.

"We missed you at lunch," she said.

"You sure that all of you guys missed me?" I asked glancing at Sasuke.

"Oh yeah," she explained before coming to stand next to me. "Someone was more irritable than he was this morning when Naruto pointed out that you weren't there. Sasuke had glared at Naruto before his eyes narrowed. He then had punched Naruto in the gut for being annoying."

I let all the information sink in as students passed by blocking me from seeing Sasuke. Sasuke actually causing physical damage to Naruto? Something has to be really wrong if that happened. I was pulled out of my thoughts when Hinata spoke.

"Well, I would love to stay and chat and all, but I need to go check on Naruto," she said before walking off. "And Sakura," she said turning to look at me, "just know that he is not mad at you." And I believed her. I believed her because I have this feeling within me that's saying it's not my fault.

I thought it best to go to class since the students in the hallway were almost gone. I began walking when suddenly my arm was yank backwards and I was shoved against my locker firmly yet gently. I looked up and saw Sasuke looking down at me, his eyes boring into mine.

His grip tightened on me, holding me in place so I wouldn't go anywhere. "S-Sasuke?" I asked hesitantly.

His head came to rest beside mine on the locker. I felt his breath fanning across my right cheek. "I'm sorry for today," he said honestly.

My eyes widened in shock when I heard him apologizing to me, but to think he was gonna apologize at all caught me off guard.

"It's just," he continued whispering, "my dad got in a serious car accident late Saturday night, early Sunday morning and we haven't heard anything else. All we know is that this morning they are transferring him here to Konoha's hospital and we won't be able to see him for a while. My mother is devastated at the thought of him getting seriously injured."

I didn't know what to say. Saying sorry doesn't seem to cut it so I did the only other thing I knew I should do. I hugged him and I didn't plan on letting go even if he tried to push me away. No matter what may have occurred between Sasuke and his father, Fugaku is still his dad. I could see the pent up emotions swimming in Sasuke's eyes.

The thought of Mikoto possibly breaking down right in front of him and him having to keep it together for her sake made me squeeze him tighter. I didn't expect him to hug me back, but he did.

"We're gonna be late for class," I said softly, a small smile appearing on my face at the thought of the two smartest kids in class being late.

"Doesn't really matter to me at the moment," he said before releasing me from his hold.

I looked at him, like really looked him and took in his appearance, noticing a couple of things that I didn't even see before. His hair was messy, his eyes begged for sleep, and his clothes were not in their best condition.

I hesitantly reached up to brush his hair away from his face. "I"ll stop by later," I whispered to him. "And we really should get to class."

"Don't bother," he said equally soft. "We're already twenty minutes late."

"So what are we to do now?" I asked.

"Skip," he stated.

"Skip? Sixth period?" I asked incredulously. "It's our Algebra class with that crazy, strict teacher."

"Missing one class won't hurt," he said promisingly. "Besides, we can get the homework later."

He started walking off, but paused when he saw I wasn't following him. I shuffled towards him and trailed behind as he led me to the roof.

I took a seat on the concrete and stared towards the monument visibly seen from here. I drifted my eyes to the street where I saw several people walking and cars often passing by. I breathed in the fresh air and closed my eyes in contentment while feeling the sun's warm rays beat down on me.

I opened my eyes when I heard a soft thud next to me. Sasuke sat down staring at the city. We stayed in this comfortable silence till the end of school.

"I'll see you later," I promised as I closed my locker door shut.

He nodded in response and immediately left. Letting out a sigh, I searched for Tenten who was waiting for me by the entrance to the school.

"Where were you?" she asked curiously as we started walking towards the parking lot to wait for Sasori.

"On the roof," I replied as stopped under the shade of a large tree.

"With Sasuke?" she asked her voice already taking on a playful tone.

"We didn't do anything. He's just not himself because of personal reasons," I explained.

"That's why he was the way he was?" she questioned.

"Mhmm, he cornered me today after fifth period," I announced. "Told me the reason why he was acting the way he was."

"It's none of my business to know what's wrong so I won't pester you about it," she assured.

"Thanks," I said just as Sasori's car came into view.

"Long time no see sis," he said once we were inside the car.

"It's only been a week," I said noticing he looked more tired than he should.

"Tenten," he greeted.

"Saso-chan!" she exclaimed.

"How ya doing?" Sasori questioned as we pulled out of the parking lot.

"Fine," she replied.

That was the end of our conversation, making the car become quiet with the only sound being that of the music playing from the radio. When we arrived at Tenten's, I rushed inside and up to her room to gather my bags that I packed the night before.

"See ya later," Tenten said waving as I walked back to the car.

"Later," I said back as I dumped my bags in the truck.

When we were a little ways off, I shifted in my seat and turned to Sasori who spoke before I even had a chance to question him.

"You know about Sasuke's dad," he stated.

"Yeah," I said softly. "Is that the reason why you look so tired?"

"I guess you could say that's partially why," he murmured as we pulled into the driveway. "How's Sasuke doing?" he asked turning to face me.

"He's trying to keep it together for Mikoto, but it's affecting him more than he lets on," I answered. "How's Itachi?"

"About the same as Sasuke," he admitted.

"I told Sasuke I was gonna stop by his house later. Maybe I could make them dinner or something."

"I was planning to drop by also," Sasori said. "Why don't we get your bags in the house and we can get cleaned up a bit before heading over there."

I nodded and we both carried my belongings into the house and up to my room. Deciding to unpack my bags later, I open one my drawers and pulled out some clothes before heading over to the bathroom. Finishing up quickly, I threw on a black tank top and blue jean mid-thigh shorts.

I brushed my hair gently but rapidly and slipped on my black flip flops while grabbing my cell phone and my house keys-just in case- before heading downstairs to the kitchen where Sasori was.

"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded and we both went to the car. "We'll make a quick stop at the grocery," he informed as we drove off. We took a different route to avoid the after work traffic and immediately reached the supermarket in ten minutes.

"Who knows when they'll go shopping," he said as we walked inside the store. "Grab a cart and I'll meet you in the dairy section."

"Ok," I replied before turning away from him.

"Pick up whatever you think they may need," he said before walking off.

I wheeled the cart to the small bakery section and grabbed a couple bags of bread- French bread, slice bread, dinner rolls, and hamburger buns. I pushed the cart into the isle across from me and looked at the can goods stack on one side of the shelves.

I grabbed a couple cans of soup, throwing them into the cart, before grabbing some spaghetti that was behind me on the other shelf. I set off again, and after ten minutes of walking through different isles, I added a couple things to the cart.

I now had two boxes of cereal, three small containers of coffee, one box of tea, a plastic container filled with plain and powdered doughnuts, two packs of Red Bull, one pack of Monster, a small case of Nutter Butter cookies-because seriously who doesn't like those?- and a couple of things from the freezer section.

Deciding I had enough, I headed to the dairy section to wait for Sasori. I didn't have to stand around to long for I saw him walking towards me with his arms full of plastic bags filled with fruit and vegetables.

He gingerly set them in the cart, careful not to let them get bruised before we looked around for anything else. I grabbed a box of milk, another one filled with cream, a pack of cheese, and a small case of yogurt.

"Is that it?" Sasori asked me.

"I guess," I said shrugging. "No wait!" I exclaimed remembering how I promised to make Sasuke cookies. "I need ingredients to make the double chocolate chip espresso cookies."

"Well hurry," Sasori said ushering me to go find the necessary ingredients.

I speed walked, looking at the sign above each isle which read what the isle contained. After getting what I needed I hurried back to Sasori and dumped the items into the filled cart.

"Let's go," my brother stated.

The cash out line was short and we quickly reached to the front of the line.

"Hey, I know you," the cashier guy said as Sasori handed him the money.

"Oh, hey," I said recognizing him as the guy from the other day. Sasori turned to look at me questioningly, but I waved him off, mentally promising to explain later.

"Do you always come to the grocery with a different guy?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" I hissed, my eyes narrowing at the innocent tone he used.

"Well, I did see you a couple of days ago with another guy," he declared as I stood there glaring holes through his body.

"What are you trying to say about my sister?" Sasori spat in anger.

"Sister?" the cashier replied looking at the two of us.

"Yes dumbass," my brother replied.

"So that guy with raven colored hair was your boyfriend?" he questioned.

"Well, um," I fumbled not knowing what to say as my anger suddenly disappeared.

"Yes, he is," my brother spoke up aggravated with the teen behind the register. "Now can we please get our things and leave?" he impatiently asked, eyes darkly glaring at the boy.

The guy quickly handed us our receipt and our bags before he once again looked at me. Avoiding his gaze, I quickly walked in front of my brother so that the cashier could no longer see me.

XxXxXxX

"Hey," I softly greeted when Sasuke opened the front door. Walking into the house, I spotted Mikoto on the sofa in the living room.

She looked up when she noticed my presence and got up. "Sakura," she whispered before her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

I blinked a couple of times to clear my eyes of the water that was now forming. "Hello Mikoto," I quietly said.

"What's all of this?" she asked, taking notice of the bags in my arms.

"Eheheh, me and Sasori did some shopping for you guys," I said. At the mention of his name, my brother walked into the living room.

"Why did you two do this?" she asked eyeing the amount of bags Sasori was carrying.

"Because we wanted to," I answered leaving no room for her to protest.

Both I and my brother walked into the kitchen with Mikoto and Sasuke trailing behind. I set my bags on the countertop while Sasori placed his on the table located across from me.

Sasuke reached a hand out to help me unpack, but I gently swatted it.

"No," I said firmly only to have him try again.

"No," I repeated. "I'll unpack; you guys go on back into the living room." I started to place the food items on the counter before folding up the bags neatly. I have been over here so much that I practically know where every item is supposed to go.

Seeing Mikoto still in the room, my brother walked over to her and gently nudged her in the direction of the living room.

"We'll call you when dinner is ready," he said as she turned to face him.

"But," she protested.

Sasori shook his head at her and led her to the sofa where she had previously been sitting. "Sasuke that means you too," I said turning to him.

Ignoring me, he stayed rooted to the spot. I sighed at his behavior before slumping my shoulders a bit. "Please?" I pleaded softly.

I saw him falter a bit but still remain in the same position. "Can't you just let me do this for you?" I asked. "Please?" I added again.

He hn-ed at me before turning to walk out of the kitchen. "Thank you," I said. I watched as he left the room passing Sasori who was now entering the kitchen.

"Now what are we gonna make?" Sasori asked picking up a bag of carrots.

"Would you put that down?"

"Well what are we making?" he asked again setting the bag down.

"Sasuke adores onigiri and tomatoes," I stated.

"And Itachi likes cabbage and onigiri with seaweed in it," Sasori added.

"Well, I guess we can make both." I gathered the ingredients and started the task of making the food. After finally finishing the food, I looked up to see what my brother was doing.

"What is that?" I asked peeking over his shoulder at what he made.

"Chocolate," he replied instantly. I looked down at the sculpted figure made out of chocolate. "Is that pocky?" I asked eyeing the little biscuit snacks that were placed randomly among the chocolate.

"Yep," he said taking one from a box to munch on.

"But what about my double chocolate chip espresso cookies?" I pouted at the thought of not having to eat those delicious cookies.

"Who said we only needed one dessert?" my brother questioned.

I perked up at the sound of that, grabbed a box of unopened cocoa pocky, and headed over to the counter to begin making cookies. After mixing up all of the ingredients, I placed small cookie dough balls on several baking pans.

Popping two of the pans into the oven, I moved over to the stool by the counter and sat down, fully intent on opening the box of pocky. Before I even got the chance to bite the pocky stick in my hand Sasuke walked into the room.

"You're not allowed to come into the kitchen," I stated as I jumped of the stool to stand in front of him.

Ignoring me, he headed over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of cold water before turning to face me. "Out," I said firmly pointing my pocky in the direction of the exit. "Please?" I added sweetly.

"Hn," he replied. Great, we're back to one word syllables.

He walked up to me, plucked the pocky stick out of my hands, and turned to leave. I stared after him mouth opened slightly as I replayed what just happened.

"Hey!" I cried out indignantly.

He turned his head back to face me and smirked in my direction before innocently taking a bite of the pocky. Knowing that that was the first time he smirked for the day, a feeling of happiness bubbled within me.

I stuck my tongue out at him and turned back to the cookies that were in the oven.

XxXxXxX

"That was delicious Sakura," Mikoto praised. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said smiling at her.

"Well, now that dinner is finished I think it's time for dessert," Sasori said pushing himself away from the table.

He went to retrieve his chocolate sculpture while I brought out a plate of my cookies.

"Behold my masterpiece," he proclaimed as he set it down. "I know, I know, it's the best thing you ever saw."

Itachi snorted. "What's it supposed to be?" he questioned.

"Can't you tell?" my brother asked implying that whatever it was was obvious.

"A man," Sasuke suggested.

"Not just any man," Sasori said proudly. "It's a puppeteer and those are his puppets," he explained pointing to the figures.

"Anyway, here's my dessert," I said before plopping down next to Sasuke. "Told you that I would make you double chocolate chip espresso cookies."

I watched as Sasuke favored my cookies instead of Sasori's chocolate masterpiece. I smiled in delight as my brother pouted in disappointment.

The phone interrupted my gloating.

"Hello?" Mikoto answered as everything in the house went quiet.

After a few short replied answers she hung up and turned to us. "Your father has safely reached the hospital here and has just woken up. They check him over and he has no serious injuries. We are allowed to go see him tomorrow afternoon," she informed.

I saw a look of relief pass over Sasuke's features before he slowly relaxed.

XxXxXxX

"Thanks," Sasuke said as I walked out the front door.

"It's no problem," I replied back facing him. I stared into his dark eyes finally seeing them filled with happiness and relief.

I felt his eyes boring into mine and before I knew it our bodies were mere inches apart. I swallowed thickly as I noticed the distance between our faces were closer too.

"Oi Sakura, time to go!" Sasori yelled as he drove the car right up to the door.

Whatever trance I was in was broken when Sasori called my name. I blushed as I backed away from Sasuke.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I promised.

He nodded at me and I got in the car. As we drove out the driveway, I looked at Sasori who was smirking.

"Shut up," I told him crossing my arms over my chest.

"I didn't say anything," he laughed out.

"But you were thinking it," I mentioned. He laughed at me again and I pouted before suddenly remembering I have homework to do. Aw shit!

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**Well another chapter is complete. Hope you guys liked it! :D Reviews are appreciated. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you guys for the wonderful reviews! I hope you guys like this chapter as well. **

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**Normal POV**

'He's glaring at her! That is so a good sign!' Karin mentally cheered. She sat back smugly in her chair and delightfully watched as Sasuke glared at everything and everybody.

'He won't do that to me,' she stated confidently. Ignoring the lesson that the teacher was lecturing on, she proceeded to paint her fingernails neon orange.

XxXxXxX

Lunch time came around quickly much to Karin's satisfaction and when she saw Sakura no where in sight she was beyond happy.

'The pink-haired bitch is gone! Haha!'

Picking up her tray, which only contained a plate of salad and a glass of water on it, she strutted in the direction of Sasuke.

XxXxXxX

"Shit," Suigetsu muttered catching sight of Karin. He continued cursing when he saw the empty space next to the angry raven-haired teen.

Looking around for an excuse to sit in the seat next to Sasuke, he got up, threw his trash away, and grabbed his text book before plopping down in the vacant space.

"Hey man, can you help me with this?" he asked watching as Sasuke glared at him.

"Trust me, you'll thank me when this is over," he muttered loud enough for Sasuke to hear.

XxXxXxX

'Why the hell did Suigetsu have to move there?' Karin fumed. She paused in her steps before deciding that she could still approach Sasuke and comfort him by hugging him from behind. At the very least she got to touch him and that made her ecstatic.

XxXxXxX

"She's still coming," Ino pointed out.

"Shit," Suigetsu cursed. "I thought that by sitting here she might change her mind and leave."

"Apparently, she's too determined to let anything get in her way now, especially since Sakura's not here," Tenten said watching as the red head took more steps towards them.

"Hinata what are you doing?" Naruto asked, confused as to why she stood up from her place on the bench next to him.

"Following my gut," she replied now standing behind Sasuke.

"Say wah?" Naruto asked perplexed.

"Just trust her. She and Sakura are mostly correct with this kinda thing," Ino informed waving off the blonde.

"So now that you're standing there, what are you gonna do?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Mmmmm, I don't know," she admitted looking into blue eyes. "But I suggest that you guys start making up excuses so I could stay in this one spot or else our little angry friend here is gonna explode."

XxXxXxX

'What the hell is with these idiots?' Karin huffed in frustration as she saw Hinata standing behind Sasuke.

'Pinky's gone and now everyone is just all over him. I should be the only one who gets to be all over him.'

XxXxXxX

"She's getting closer," Ino mumbled out in warning.

"Hinata-chan," Naruto called out loud enough for Karin to hear, "can you throw this away for me?" Naruto pointed down at his empty ramen cups.

"Sure," Hinata said while reaching for the cups.

Someone cleared their throat from behind and Hinata turned to face Karin before promptly turning back to the table to make a gagging face at Ino and Tenten. Both girls tried to contain their laughter, but the clearing of a throat immediately stopped their happiness.

"Sasuke-kun!" Karin's shrill voice called. "You look so down today."

Receiving no answer, Karin tried again only to be interrupted.

"Hey Hina," Ino called causing the soft-spoken girl to pause and look in her direction.

"Yes?" Hinata questioned.

"Do you have the Algebra notes from yesterday?"

"Mhmm," Hinata hummed out.

"Can I borrow them?" Ino asked before munching on a piece of celery covered in ranch dressing.

"Sure," Hinata said reaching down for her bag that was by her feet.

"I'm trying to talk here!" Karin exclaimed causing a few kids passing by to flinch.

"And no one really cares," Naruto said putting his hands behind his head.

"Why you," she grumbled out before screaming slightly in dissatisfaction. "Would you move already?" she half-yelled at Hinata.

"I don't have to," Hinata stated turning to face the red head. "I'm free to stand wherever I want."

"Excuse me?" she cried out.

"You're excused," Hinata calmly stated.

"Why you-"

"I kindly suggest you leave," Neji interupted glaring up at the girl.

"I didn't come over here for any of you," she stated.

"Then why the hell did you come?" Ino asked.

"To see Sasuke," she answered.

"But you just said that you didn't come over here for any of us. And, just to let you know, Sasuke is part of us, so technically if what you just said was true then you didn't come over here for him or else you would be contradicting what you just said," Naruto informed.

Everything went silent then and he looked around at the others who were looking at him with slightly wide eyes. Even Sasuke who was glaring so hard at the tree across from him, was now looking at Naruto.

"What?" he asked.

"Duuuuude," Kiba said. "Naruto made you look stupid."

Karin boiled over in anger and stomped away from the group of now snickering teens. 'Don't worry, I'll get you guys back,' she thought darkly while smirking to herself.

"So…" Naruto began.

The group's laughter died down and each returned to their normal positions around the table.

"What do you think she was gonna do anyways," Ino asked.

"Well, if I was thinking like Sakura or maybe even Sasuke, Karin would have probably given Sasuke a surprise hug from behind. That's why she wanted Hinata to move out of her way," Tenten informed.

"Mmmm, so that was it," Ino said more to herself.

"Soooo, anyone did their Algebra homework?" Naruto asked.

"Gah, really Naruto?" Tenten asked.

"What? I didn't do it," he said.

Hinata giggled at him. "Naruto-kun," she shook her head before giggling again.

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**Just a little quick chapter showing what happened when Sakura missed lunch. Also, I guess Hinata was too worried about Naruto being punched (which happened a while after Karin stormed off) in the previous chapter to remember the event with Karin, but don't worry, Sakura get to know. :-) Reviews are nice!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I was so happy with the amount of reviews I received last chapter! –hands out cookies- Cookies are good! Yummy for the tummy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own! **

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"So," I said plopping down on my bed. "How did things go with your dad?" I motioned Sasuke over to sit on my bed.

"Other than a few minor injuries, he's fine," he answered sitting down.

"Nothing to worry about, right?" I asked turning to face him.

He shook his head no and I smiled brightly, glad that nothing serious happened. "How's your mom?" I questioned as I pulled out my notebook.

"Overjoyed," he replied, his face scrunching up a bit.

I laughed. "What's with the face?"

"She keeps bugging me," he informed as he leaned against the headboard of my bed.

"Is it that annoying?" I looked to him.

"Yes," he said flatly. "She's all, 'Ask Sakura about that cookie recipe!', 'Have you asked her yet?', 'Those cookies were delicious which by the way reminds me, Sasuke have you asked Sakura for the recipe?'"

I ended up laughing so much at him that my eyes started to water. He hn-ed at me before roughly grabbing his notebook and a pen from his bag.

"Tell her I'll make some when your dad is released from the hospital." I looked up from my notebook to meet Sasuke's eyes. Onyx bore into my emerald eyes, and I felt trapped. He blinked, breaking the connection, and looked around my room.

"I know it's small," I said looking around as well.

"No, it's not," he responded, his eyes back on me.

"Compared to yours, it is," I stated.

My room was, in fact, smaller than Sasuke's fit-for-a-king bedroom. My bed was king-sized -puny compared to his- and sat comfortably in the middle of my room against the north wall.

"It's big enough," he countered staring me down now. I didn't break eye contact as I defiantly stared back.

"So you say."

"And I did say," he answered. My room was barely even three-quarters of his room. My TV that was on a white sleek table was smaller, and my closet wasn't even a quarter of his.

"Sakura, your room is fine," he said interrupting my thoughts of how big his room is.

"It's puny," I almost whined. I looked around at the red walls and at the black and white furniture.

"No," he said in finality, his face now mere inches from mine. My breath hitched in my throat and swallowing suddenly became difficult. His scent was gently brushing against my nostrils and it drove me insane.

"Hey guys I bought dinner!" Sasori yelled from downstairs. I jerked back and quickly looked down at my notebook, hoping to hide my blush. I peeked up at him and saw that he too moved back just as fast as I did.

"So, uh, I managed to write three stories," I informed shyly, flipping the pages of my notebook to the first story before I handed the notebook to him.

"Each one has a different genre," I explained.

As he began silently reading, I slipped out of the room to go retrieve our dinner. As I entered the kitchen, the smell of pizza drifted to my nose.

"One box is for you guys," my brother said appearing out of nowhere.

"Don't do that," I almost yelled with a hand on my chest.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You could have scared me to death," I answered before pouting.

He waved me off without an apology. "It's half cheese, half pepperoni," he said referring to the pizza before walking out of the room. "Oh, and the liter of Sprite is for you guys; the Coke is mine," he mentioned as he walked further away from the room.

I grabbed the box of pizza and the liter of Sprite before making my up to my room. When I entered, Sasuke looked up and got up to grab the pizza box from me.

"I was doing just fine," I said, pouting as he settled back down on my bed.

He ignored me and went back to reading the contents of my notebook. I exited the room once again to get a couple of napkins and two glasses.

"Sooooo, what do you think?" I asked as I sat on the bed.

"It's really good," he stated before flipping a page.

"Which one are you reading now?" I questioned.

"The last one," he answered.

We slipped into silence then and I chewed my lip in boredom; I had nothing to do as he read my story. Suddenly my stomach informed me of its hunger and I opened the box of pizza, letting the smell fully envelope my room.

I grabbed a slice of cheese pizza and took a bite into the still hot food. I smiled when the cheese pulled and created a long strand. I looked up and saw Sasuke watching me. I averted my eyes and pulled the cheese that was hanging off my pizza off before shoving it in my mouth. Needing a distraction, I turned the TV on and continued eating, aware that he was still watching me.

**Sasuke's POV**

I was pleased at the stories that Sakura created and found myself really enjoying what she wrote. I was currently on the third story when my concentration broke. I looked up as I was hit with the scent of a freshly made pizza.

I watched as Sakura took a bite and a long strand of gooey hot cheese stretched from the pizza to her mouth. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her pink lips, but when I looked up to her eyes, I was caught staring.

Before I could even blink, she looked away from me and switched on the TV. I stared as she chewed her food slowly, her lips slightly shining from greasy pizza and from when she last licked it. I couldn't tear my eyes away, and earlier today replayed in my head. We were so close to kissing just like the many other times, but somehow, someway, something always makes us break away at the last moment.

**Sakura's POV**

I ate two slices of pizza before Sasuke joined me at the edge of the bed. He grabbed a slice of pepperoni and took a bite while watching the TV.

"How many stories did you write?" I asked casually.

"Four and a half," he stated looking at me.

"That makes seven and a half; so that means we have four and a half more to go to reach twelve."

I reached for another slice of pizza as my mind began wandering. I thought about the stories written in Sasuke's notebook; what they might be. I wanted so desperately to read what he wrote; see what he imagined and read the stories that would somehow paint a picture in my mind.

I snapped out of my musings as I took the last bite of the slice of pizza. Wiping my hands off with a napkin, I watched my notebook on the bed, my mind already thinking of what to write. Not bothering to drink anything, I grabbed my notebook and just sat there.

I tapped the pencil on my notebook repeatedly before an idea struck me. Thinking more about it, I was able to develop a plot and I began writing before the words left me. Twenty minutes later, I looked up and saw that the bed was cleared off, no more pizza box in sight for it was sitting on my desk, and that Sasuke was working as well.

I went back to work and in ten minutes time I was finished. I sighed and flopped down on my back.

"Done?" Sasuke asked looking down at me.

"Mhmm." I looked up at him and smiled. "When can I read your stories?"

"Soon enough," he promised.

I reached out to grab my iPod from my nightstand. Putting it on shuffle, I turned back to face Sasuke, taking in his concentrated form. He was slightly hunched over his notebook with his bangs lightly falling into his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed slightly in concentration and his lips were set in an almost straight line.

I watched his raven hair being hit by the disappearing rays of the sun, and I felt my eyes softening at the image. He looked so at peace with everything.

Blinking, I turned to my notebook and stared at the empty page while listening to the lyrics of the song. I left my imagination to run free as I closed my eyes.

**Sasuke's POV**

I knew she was watching me; I could feel her emerald orbs. I managed to peek at her through my bangs and when I saw her, I was fixed on her. The dying rays of the sun bounced off of her pink hair and made her skin glow.

I watched as her orbs scanned my figure before returning to her book. When she closed her eyes, I unconsciously let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

**Sakura's POV**

Inspiration struck me like a ton of bricks, well, I've never felt a ton of bricks hitting me, but you get the point. I bolted upright, scaring Sasuke in the process –well as good as I could get with scaring him- and grabbed my notebook.

My pencil flew over the page quickly and I cursed every time the lead point broke. I was happy that I was using a mechanical pencil because if it was a regular pencil my patience would have already ran out whenever I broke my pencil point.

"Done!" I exclaimed happily. I looked over to Sasuke who was looking at me with one of his eyebrows raised.

"Yes, I am crazy," I said before giggling at his confused face. "So how much stories do you have now?"

"Five," he answered while setting his book aside.

"And I have five," I said, "so just two more to go plus the bonus story."

"I think that for the rest of the stories both me and you should write them."

"Well, I guess we would have to work on figuring out what genres we want and what each story would be about," I said now flipping to a new page.

We both sat it silence ruminating. I thought about writing a story with adventure, violence, humor, and a dash of romance because really, what's a story without romance? The story itself would obviously be a about journey, but a journey to what? On top of that what is the cause of the journey? And how would everything come together?

I explained what I had in mind to Sasuke and he agreed that the idea sounded good; all we had to do was think more about what would happen to further develop the idea. Voicing our thoughts every now and again made us weave together the beginning of the story and before we knew it we already had a page.

"I think that this character should be funny," I pointed. "You know like those animes? Funny but serious?"

"Aa," Sasuke agreed. We continued on discussing character roles and the plot line until it was past ten in the night.

"Woah, it's late," I said glancing at the clock which read minutes to eleven.

Sasuke began gathering his things and I grabbed the pizza box and Sprite. Once his belongings we are sitting snug in his bag, I accompanied him downstairs, pausing to place the pizza and soda on the kitchen table.

"So I'll see you tomorrow," I said leaning slightly against the door frame.

"Aa," he replied giving me that look again. I felt like if I was being sucked into a vortex of onyx and I had no way to pull myself out of it.

He shifted forward, coming closer to me, and I felt my pulse increase as my heart started hammering against my ribcage. I was reminded of all the times we got close only to jerk back suddenly because of interruptions.

But this time I was slightly eager, hoping that maybe we won't have an interruption. We've been disrupted so many times before that this time I really do want us not to have a distraction. I want to be able to see what he would do, what he would say.

**Sasuke's POV**

We were so close this time that I was thinking that nothing would distract us. There was not one thing in sight that would and tonight I decided that nothing would stop me from doing what I wanted to do for so long.

Yes, I like her, love her and though I haven't said it to her face, I know that I will soon. It's simply just a matter of time. And right now, at this time while I'm staring at her and into her emerald eyes, I'm going to do what I have to.

**Sakura's POV**

Even though his eyes captured me, I noticed when he moved forward, intent on closing this space between us. My breath hitched and I watched as his eyelids droop slightly. This was it.

BBBRING BBBRING BBBRING

"Sakura could you get that?" Sasori yelled.

"Oh bloody hell," I muttered cursing whoever could be calling this late at night. Always; this always happens.

Before I could even pull away to answer the phone, Sasuke grabbed my wrist and tugged me forward causing me to land right into his chest.

**Sasuke's POV**

There was no way I was letting this happen again and when I heard her curse I knew that she was frustrated with all the disruptions as well.

I grabbed her wrist and tugged her forward causing her to land right onto my chest, and when she looked up at me, I dipped my head down.

**Sakura's POV**

I looked up as soon as I touched him, and my heart felt like it was running a race. I gasped as he dipped his head down and suddenly I felt a light pressure on my cheek, but as quickly as it came, it was gone.

"Goodnight," he whispered before walking off, leaving me gaping after him in the doorway. The phone ringing behind me still caught my attention but I was deeply rooted to the spot.

"Hi, you have reached Sasori's and Sakura's house! Please leave a message after the beep and we'll get back to you as soon as we can….Beeeeeep"

"Sakuuuurrrraaaaa, where are you dammit? I been trying to call your cell phone biatch," Ino's voice boomed. "Call me!"

"Who was on the phone?" Sasori asked coming down the stairs.

I snapped out of it and closed the door before turning to face him. "Just Ino." I walked passed him in a daze and went straight to my room. I definitely had some people to call.

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**So? How was it? Bet you thought he would have kissed her full on, eh? Tricked ya, didn't I? Anyhoo, review? Please? **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I appreciate the reviews! You guys make me happy! ;D**

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"So let me get this straight. You chickened out of kissing her?" Naruto asked as both he and Sasuke walked across the parking lot.

"I did not chicken out," Sasuke replied gruffly.

"Let me rephrase that; you chickened out of kissing her on the lips." Naruto dodged a punch aimed for his head. "Hey, I was just repeating what you said."

"I did kiss her you dolt," Sasuke said as they entered the school.

"Then why not on the lips?" the blond questioned.

"Hn."

"You may be my best friend, but I honestly don't understand you sometimes." The blond shook his head at his friend in disappointment."Tsk, tsk, since when has the almighty Sasuke Uchiha become shy. Oh how the mighty have fallen! Captured and shackled by a fair pink-haired maiden -who by the way has a sexy blond haired god-brother."

"Dobe," Sasuke hissed, his fist coming into contact with Naruto's head.

"Abusive! My brain cells live in their ya know!" Naruto complained rubbing the sore spot on his head before spotting Hinata at her locker. "See ya later Teme!" the blond said before running off in the direction of the shy girl.

"Hn."

**XxXxXxX**

**Sakura's POV**

"So he pulled you into his chest?" Ino asked.

"And dipped his head," Hinata continued.

"But only gave you a kiss on the cheek?" Tenten finished.

"Yes," I said exasperatedly. "But I honestly thought he was gonna kiss me, like really kiss me on the lips."

"Maybe he didn't want to do it so soon," Hinata said.

"Or he just turned shy," Ino suggested.

"Shy? Sasuke? You have got to be kidding me. We are talking about the guy that won the martial arts competition who knows how many times in a row. Do you honestly believe that he, who could beat up a wrestler, would get shy?" I turned to look at Ino.

"It's a possibility," the blond said.

"A possibility my ass," I replied while opening my locker.

"Oh c'mon, why won't he get shy being with a beauty like you!" Ino winked at me which caused me to roll my eyes at her.

"HINATA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled running down the hallway. He picked up Hinata, causing her to squeak, and twirled her around before placing her gently back on the ground. "I missed you," he whined while looking at her with big blue eyes.

"I missed you too," she said before he grabbed her hand. "C'mon!" he exclaimed pulling her with him.

"But I need my books," she protested.

"Nuh uh," he countered. She pulled away to retrieve her books, causing Naruto to pout. "Now we can go," she stated cheerily taking his hand in hers. A bright smile lit up his face and he pulled her into his side before turning to walk in the direction he came from.

"Sakura," Naruto called before both he and Hinata disappeared around the corner. "Sasuke said something about needing to talk to you about you guys' project. He's by his locker."

"Couldn't it wait for later?" I questioned. The blond shrugged at me. "Just go see what he wants." With that said he walked off with Hinata.

"So…" I said looking at Tenten.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go!" Ino said pushing me in the direction of Sasuke's locker.

"But Ino," I protested.

"No buts!" she exclaimed firmly. "He needed to talk to you right?"

"Yeah but-"

"NO BUTS!"

I sighed as the blond pushed me forward. "GO!" She gave me one hard push and I stumbled forward almost hitting into Sasuke's back.

"Um, good morning," I said causing Sasuke to look at me.

"Morning," he replied turning his whole body towards me.

"So, uh," memories from last night suddenly flooded my mind and the words died in my throat as I tried to keep myself from blushing. I bit the inside of my cheek before slightly clearing my throat. "Naruto said you wanted to talk to me about the project?" I looked up at him from under my lashes and quickly averted my eyes when I felt the heat pooling into my cheeks.

**Sasuke's POV**

I'm going to kill that damn blond idiot.

"Naruto fooled you," I stated watching her face change from being shy and embarrassed to aggravated.

"He did what," she seethed, her eyes slightly flaming. I could already see the torture methods sparking behind her orbs.

"Tried to play us." I have to admit that seeing her worked up like that is quite appealing.

**Sakura's POV**

That little idiot made me come over here for no reason? I really wanted to avoid Sasuke at least for a little while, and that fool decided to trick me into coming over here. Oh, wait till I get my hands on him! I'll deprive him of ramen so bad that he'll grovel at my feet for it.

In, out. In, out. Sighs. Okay, maybe torturing the idiot is going way overboard, but come on, I wanted to avoid an awkward confrontation. But instead, here I am standing in the presence of the one who constantly plagues my thoughts.

"So," I started, rocking back and forth.

"We'll finish the project at my place," he stated.

"Oooo-kay," I said.

"My dad's coming home today," he stated offhandedly as we walked in the direction of our classroom.

"Is he better?" I asked.

"Much," Sasuke responded.

**XxXxXxX**

'_I demand to know what happened between you two this morning!' _the note read. I glanced at Ino who was motioning for me to write on the paper.

**'**_**Naruto tricked me.' **_

'_So Sasuke didn't call you over?' _

**'**_**Nope.'**_

'_Gah! I was hoping something juicy happened.'_

**'**_**Juicy? Ino, if he did call me over, it was to talk about the project.'**_

'_But that could have been his excuse to get you to come.' _I sighed before looking up at the board.

**'**_**And why would he need an excuse?'**_

'_So he could get you alone and maybe start kissing you and romancing you and all that good stuff.'_

I threw her an are-you-right-in-your-head look only for her to wink and blow me a kiss.

**'**_**Ino!'**_

'_Yes, my love?'_

**'**_**Sigh. What am I going to do with you?'**_

'_Make me one of the godmothers of your children!'_

**'**_**Ino! I'm not even married yet! Heck, I don't even have a boyfriend!'**_

'_Not yet you don't ;)'_

I stuffed the bright neon pink loose leaf paper into my bag. Honestly, why does she buy neon colored paper? I still can't believe the teacher hasn't spotted us yet. This paper is just like a beckon, screaming for us to get caught.

"I hope you pick me first," Ino said appearing beside me as I walked through the hallway.

"Hmmm, maybe I should pick Hinata," I thought.

Ino gasped and looked at me dead on. "Meanie! I thought you loved me!"

"Oh, I do!" I smiled at her brightly before linking my arm with hers. "Don't worry Ino," I reassured, "you'll be the godmother of one of my kids."

"Better be first pick," she mumbled before pulling me along.

**XxXxXxX**

"And that's basically it," I said as I finished up the cookie recipe.

"That was an easy recipe!" Mikoto exclaimed as she finished writing it down in her recipe book.

"Do you think Fugaku-san will like them?" I questioned, worried that the older man won't have a sweet tooth.

"He's not one for a lot of sweets," I knew it, "but I think he'll like these. The coffee flavor might balance out the chocolate."

"Well, just check on them in ten to fifteen minutes," I stated as I removed the apron Mikoto lent me. "I'm going to go and finish that project."

"Have fun dear!" she exclaimed. I didn't miss the gleam in her eyes when I walked out the door.

I walked into Sasuke's room and plopped down on his bed, not caring that my head was touching his knee.

"You smell like cookies," he stated looking down at me.

I couldn't help myself. I laughed at his expression and continued laughing at his statement.

"What?" he asked leaning down further.

"It's just the way you said it and how you looked," I replied through a fit of giggles.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" he asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," I stated easily. "Your face looked like this," I said mimicking his facial expression.

Before I knew it he was tickling my sides and his fingers were ghosting across my stomach. I laughed as I tried to swat his hands away, but it was useless seeing as he always came back, tickling me twice as much.

**Sasuke's POV**

The sound of her melodious laughter filled my room and I found myself staring down at her as she tried to catch her breath from suffering from my merciless tickling. The light caught her hair just right and it shined in a soft glow.

I suddenly found myself leaning in closer to her.

**Sakura's POV**

I gulped in big amounts of breath while still smiling happily from being tickled. I looked up and suddenly found Sasuke leaning in to me and I felt my breath hitch and my heartbeat increased twice as much.

**Sasuke's POV**

"Cookies!" my mom yelled bursting into my room. I didn't pull away fast enough and she found me leaning over Sakura.

"Whoops! Bad time?" she asked looking at me.

I glared at her. Ya think?

"Maybe I'll come back later?" she reasoned, holding the cookies in front of her like a peace offering.

"Don't bother," I mumbled out before grabbing my notebook.

Peeking over at Sakura, I noticed that her face was beat red and she was trying to hide behind a curtain of her hair.

"Well, I'll just leave the cookies here," my mom said setting the plate down. "Please by all means continue what you guys were doing!"

I watched as she shut the door behind her before turning to face Sakura who now had her face completely buried in my pillow.

**Sakura's POV**

When Sasuke's mom walked through that door, I felt like hiding in a hole under Sasuke's bed. I mean, seriously, who wouldn't be embarrassed by having the parent of the person you basically love walk into the room while you were about to kiss?

I pushed my face further into Sasuke's pillow, knowing that my face color was much darker than my hair's. Gah! The amount of times I've been startled just because of almost kissing him probably took a couple years off of my life.

I turned my head towards the door and peeked at it through my hair. Why do those cookies smell so close? I turned my head more in the direction of the smell and saw an outstretched had holding a cookie towards my face.

"Cookie?" Sasuke asked.

I sat up and accepted it, nibbling slowly.

**XxXxXxX**

"I can't believe it! We're done!" I exclaimed in satisfaction before letting my back hit the pillows. "And all it took was three hours." I looked at the time and noticed it was a bit after nine.

KNOCK KNOCK

"There's dinner downstairs," Mikoto said before her footsteps were heard walking away from the door. Gathering up my things, I slipped on my sneakers and waited for Sasuke.

"So after this I guess you have to drop me home," I said as we walked down the stairs.

"I guess so," he replied as we reached the dining room.

"Oh, good evening," I said as we bumped into Fugaku.

"Good evening," he said moving around us. "Sakura," he called out turning his head to look at me.

"Yes?" I asked before gulping.

"Were you the one that made those cookies?"

"Yes," I answered shyly.

"They were delightful," he said before walking away.

I looked at him like he grew two heads. "Did your dad just compliment my baking?" I asked now facing Sasuke.

"Apparently he did," he replied before we continued on.

"Are you sure he's okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," Sasuke nonchalantly said.

That's so weird. Big, intimidating Fugaku Uchiha just complimented my baking of double chocolate chip espresso cookies.

Shaking it off, I followed Sasuke into the kitchen where two hot plates of food were waiting for us on the table. "Itadakimasu," I said before digging in.

Mikoto walked into the room just as I was finishing my last bite. The gleam I saw in her eyes earlier returned and I felt myself turning pink under her gaze.

"How was the food?" she asked.

"It was delicious," I stated while getting up to clear the table.

"Oh no dear, I'll do that. Besides, Sasuke has to get you home." She ushered me out of the kitchen and handed me my belongings.

"Thank you for the food," I said as Sasuke came to stand beside me.

"You don't have to thank me dear," she said waving me off. "Have a good night," she said before turning around to go clean up the dishes.

"You too," I called out before heading over to the front door.

**Sasuke's POV**

I was about to follow Sakura to the front door when my mother called out to me causing me to pause in the doorway.

"Let me know which month you plan to have the wedding!" She smiled brightly while I turned my head away trying to conceal the heat building up on my face.

"Hn."

**Sakura's POV**

I waited outside in the cool night for Sasuke to finish talking with his mom.

"Sorry," he apologized as he walked out the front door.

"No worries," I said sliding into the passenger seat. "So did your mom get to go to the beach like she wanted to?" I asked.

"No," he stated flatly, his face scrunching up.

"What's with the face?" I asked.

"I don't want to go to the beach."

"Why not?" I questioned as the traffic light turned green.

"Don't feel like it, and it's going to be spending as my mom would say 'quality time with Itachi'."

I giggled at his expression before turning to look outside, taking in the familiar surroundings close to my home.

"Well, goodnight," I said getting out of the car.

"Goodnight," he mumbled.

From inside, I watched as he drove away. I turned around to go up to my room, but came face to face with my brother. I let out a shriek of surprise and whacked him with my bag.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed.

"Serves you right." I walked passed him going in the direction of my room.

"What did I do?" he whined out.

"I told you not to scare me like that."

"So you whack me?"

"Goodnight," I stated in finality while shutting the door behind me.

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**Another chapter done! I have things planned! ;D Review please? **


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! So happy that you all like the chapters! Here's the next one!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. The only thing that does is this idea. **

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"This Sunday is Halloween!" Ino squealed out.

"So?" Tenten asked taking a bite out of an apple.

"So? So we get to go trick-or-treating! That's so!" Ino exclaimed.

"Don't you think we are a bit old for that?" I asked.

"Nonsense Forehead," she stated waving me off. "Besides now that you and Sasuke are done with your project, you guys need some things to do." She wiggled her eyebrows at me and I hit her arm playfully.

"Ino," I warned.

"What? Well, I mean you can still go over to his house even though the project is over, but come on dressing up for Halloween is gonna be fun!"

I sighed at her persistence. "Fine," I uttered causing her to jump in happiness.

"I take it you two are coming as well?" she questioned turning to face Tenten and Hinata.

They both nodded. "Great!" she proclaimed before dragging us all outside for lunch. "So what will you guys go as?" she questioned.

"Ummmmm," Tenten hummed out, "a warrior princess."

"A princess," Hinata stated.

"Like the ones from the cartoons?" Ino asked. Hinata nodded.

"And what about you Forehead?"

"Me, I dunno." I honestly had no clue.

Ino put a finger to her lip and tapped it in thought.

"How about a Japanese goddess?" Hinata suggested.

"That could work!" Ino exclaimed while turning to the shy girl. "You're a genius Hinata." She gave Hinata a hug and turned towards me. "A goddess it is!"

"And what will you go as?" Tenten questioned looking at the ecstatic blond.

"A flower fairy or flower pixie," Ino answered. "So tomorrow we'll go to the seamstress."

"Seamstress? Why don't we just go out and buy our outfits?" I questioned.

"No, no, that won't do," Ino reprimanded. "We need custom made, one of a kind outfits." She smiled brightly before pulling out a highlighter yellow loose leaf paper. "Now this is just a general outline of what we want," she started.

"Is that your outfit?" I asked once I noticed the shortness of the dress.

"Yes," she continued before sketching out little wings on her costume.

I watched as she scrubbed at different places with her eraser only to shake her head and re-draw it before altering it slightly.

"Done!" she exclaimed holding up her work for us to see. "I'll color it when I go home," she continued before pulling out a pink paper. "This one is yours, Sakura," she informed.

I scooted closer to her and watched her draw a general outline before making the dress. "Are you making me a dress or a kimono?" I asked.

"A kimono," she answered scrunching up her eyebrows in concentration.

"Um, Ino I think that's too short," I interrupted, pointing at the bottom of my outfit.

"Nonsense!" she replied, swatting my hand away. "Besides, Sasuke will like it." She pulled at my cheek before laughing. I continued to watch as she drew the finishing touches on my costume. "By the way the color for this is black."

"Um, ok," I replied. "But wait," I said in realization, "who said the guys were coming?"

"Now time for Hinata's dress!" Ino announced ignoring me. She chose a light blue paper and began drawing. "Put this here and have this like this, and this could go here and there. And done!" she said.

"That was way too fast," Tenten disbelievingly said.

"Oh, but I am finished," Ino said showing us Hinata's dress.

"It's gorgeous!" I exclaimed.

"So was yours," Hinata stated.

"Now Tenten, time for your costume." Ino eyes held a mischievous glint in them. "Oh and Hinata?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Dress Neji to match Tenten."

"Yes ma'am." Hinata mocked saluted Ino and we all erupted in a fit of giggles before Ino finished up Tenten's costume.

"I love it!" Tenten said. "But I do have one thing to complain about."

"And that is?" Ino questioned, her eyes narrowing.

"It's short!" Tenten cried.

"Not really," Ino said, folding the papers up and shoving them in her bag.

"Maybe not to you," I stated.

Ino grabbed her bottle of water and took a few gulps. "I'll go look for the materials today and drop everything off by the seamstress later."

"But will she accept the materials when you go over there at such a late hour?" Hinata asked curiously.

"She's my family's seamstress," Ino informed. "She'll be glad to help."

"Do you think everything will be done before Sunday?" I questioned.

"Mimi will have these done by Sunday morning. I guarantee it!" she confidently exclaimed. "Tomorrow we'll go over so she could take our measurements, and Sunday we'll go again so she could make sure it fits. Any minor alterations will be fixed before five o'clock Sunday evening."

I nodded and took a bite of my onigiri. "Do you want me to come with you after school to help look for the materials?" I questioned.

"Nah, I'm fine," she reassured.

I was about to reply but got cut off when a blob of orange tackled me. "Help me!" Naruto cried hugging onto me for dear life.

"Why'd you come to me? You should hide behind Hinata." Hinata should be able to protect him from the big, bad wolf because who in their right mind would go up against such a sweet, shy girl?

"Teme is trying to hurt me!" he shouted using me as a shield.

Well, I guess Sasuke would go up against a sweet, shy girl. "What did you do?" I asked with my hands on my hips.

"What makes you think I did anything?" he asked.

"Dobe!" Sasuke hissed.

"Okay, okay, so I may have taken all his money and threw away his tomato and took a bite of everything he had on his tray for lunch, but it was all Kiba's fault! He dared me too! Help me!"

"But you're the idiot that took on the dare!"

"But he said that he would give me a weekend's worth of ramen!" Naruto explained. I shook my head at him before turning around to face Sasuke.

"Hey," I started.

"Hn." Well, that's a nice greeting. "Dobe stop using Sakura as a shield."

"NO!" Naruto replied. "I know you won't hurt her so neh." Naruto poked his head out from behind me and stuck his tongue out at Sasuke.

Sasuke stepped closer and Naruto's grip on me tightened. I grabbed my lunch and held it in front of both me and Sasuke as a peace offering.

"Onigiri and tomatoes?" I asked.

He faltered a bit before throwing a heated glare at Naruto. He nodded at me and I gave him the food before moving away from Naruto.

"Give me back my money, Dobe," Sasuke said sitting next to me.

"I don't see why you're so mad," Naruto replied fishing the money out of a froggy wallet.

"Because we were the last to come out of the classroom, and the last in the lunch line before it closed and you contaminated all of my food before stealing my money."

"Kiba dared me!"

"You're an idiot," Sasuke said before taking a bite of my lunch.

"And I did not contaminate anything! I don't have cooties!"

I sipped my Sobe in silence while listening to the chatter around me.

"Hey Sakura," Tenten called.

"Hmmm?" I answered.

"Can you come with me to practice tomorrow?" she pleaded.

"Sure," I responded.

"It's getting a little awkward over there," she whispered.

"How so?" I whispered back.

"I'll tell you later," she promised. I nodded and went back to sipping my drink.

I was brought back from staring into outer space when Sasuke placed my lunch in front of me. I looked up at him.

"You haven't eaten either," he observed, shoving it towards me more. I looked down to see that half of it was gone.

"Thanks," I said before eating the rest of food.

"Sharing food, eh? When comes the kissing?" Ino murmured into my ear. I almost choked on my food before shooting her a glare.

"Halloween's coming up!" Naruto happily proclaimed.

"I know!" Ino agreed turning away from me.

"Hey, hey, what are you guys going as?" he asked.

"Aren't you a little old to be trick-or-treating?" Neji asked.

"No," Naruto retorted. "So tell meeeee," he begged grabbing onto Hinata's hand.

"A princess," she said.

"Well, then I guess I'll be the handsome prince to my princess," he stated before wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulder.

"I'm going to be a fairy," Ino announced.

"Then what am I supposed to go as? There is nothing that could go with a fairy," Kiba complained.

"You could be a male fairy," Naruto said.

"No you idiot," Kiba refused.

"Actually that might work," Ino said.

"What?" Kiba asked incredulously.

"Don't worry sweetie," Ino said pinching his cheeks, "I'll fix you up."

"Anyway ignoring Ino and her creepy looking goo-goo eyes, what is everyone else going as?" Naruto continued before yelping in pain at the hit Ino gave him.

"A warrior princess," Tenten said.

"A goddess, apparently," I said before drinking the rest of my green tea Sobe.

"Teme, what are you going as?" Naruto asked now facing his raven-haired best friend.

"Hn, I might not even come," he said.

"You're not coming?" I asked with a hint of sadness in my voice. He looked down at me and I saw his eyes soften. "It could be fun," I edged on. "I'll make you food," I whispered loud enough for only him to hear.

"Fine," he muttered. Always play the food card, haha.

"Hey, I know what you could be," Naruto said snapping his fingers. "You could be one of those young lords from one of those castles. You know a samurai prince. It'll go great with Sakura's costume. And you can carry around a sword!"

"I'll make sure to knock you with it," Sasuke stated right before the bell rang.

"We'll see you guys later!" Naruto called pulling Sasuke along with him.

**XxXxXxX**

"That was torture," Ino breathed out as she wiped the sweat from her face.

"Gym with Anko and Gai would never be boring," Tenten said as we gathered our things.

When we walked out the school's doors, we spotted Naruto's bright hair underneath a tree in the parking lot and walked over to him. He was staring up into the branches.

"What are you doing?" Ino asked.

"Kiba's in the tree," he stated never taking his eyes off the branches above.

"What's he doing up there?" Ino demanded.

"I think a bird stole something from him," Naruto answered.

"A bird? What the hell would a bird steal from Kiba?" Ino asked.

"Money, jewelry, or maybe his clothes" Naruto replied while shrugging.

"Where is he?" I asked coming to stand beside Naruto.

"Right there." The blond pointed straight up. I looked at where he pointed and saw Kiba's jacket clad figure climbing higher.

"Kiba!" Ino called. "What are you doing?"

"A bird stole something then dropped it on a branch and then a squirrel took it," he yelled back.

"A bird and a squirrel all in one day! I think that's an accomplishment Kiba!" Naruto hollered.

"Shut up," Kiba shouted before slipping. "AHH!"

CRASH!

"Damn," he mumbled rubbing his arm.

"Did ya get it?" Naruto asked curiously.

"He just fell out of a tree and that's what you ask?" Ino questioned as she knelt down next to Kiba. "Are you ok?" she asked, concern clearly evident in her eyes.

"Yeah," he replied.

She whacked his sore arm. "Ow! What was that for?" he demanded.

"For climbing up in that tree and scaring the heck out of me when you fell," she stated.

"Why were you chasing the squirrel?" I asked as Ino picked leaves out of his hair.

"The bird stole this and then drop it before the squirrel picked it up," he explained while holding up a shiny new dog tag.

"Ah, I see." Tenten nodded in understanding.

"But how did they steal it?" Hinata questioned with a confused look on her face. "I mean, weren't you wearing it?"

"I took it out to show the idiot over there, and next thing I knew a bird came swooping in, pecked me a couple of times on the head, and grabbed it right out of my hand."

"Aggressive bird," I said.

Kiba got up and dusted off his pants. "Where are the others?" he asked.

"I heard Kakashi asking them to move a couple of TV's from the office to some of the classrooms," Naruto answered.

"Lazy ass," Kiba snorted out before turning to face Ino. "This was actually for you," he mentioned embarrassedly while scratching the back of his head with one hand and presenting the dog tag with the other.

"Oh, thank you!" Ino exclaimed, taking it with a bright smile.

"I would have given it to you sooner, but you know, I ran into some complications." At this, she laughed.

"I love it," she said before kissing his cheek.

"Enough of the gooey stuff," Tenten said making a face. "Some of us are still single."

"Aw, are you feeling lonely Tennie?" Ino asked.

"Don't worry, your pale-eyed knight is coming," Hinata pointed out mischievously.

"Wah?" Tenten said turning to look at what Hinata was looking at.

I faced the direction that both of them were turned to and I felt my throat grow dry as I caught sight of Sasuke in his undershirt – a very snug, fitted white undershirt. I glanced at Tenten only to see her in a similar state as me.

"Hey," Sasuke said as he approached me.

"H-hi," I slightly stuttered as he wiped the sweat off of his face with the navy blue t-shirt in his hand. I tried to ignore the way his muscles flexed when he moved.

"Do you need a ride home?" he asked.

I was about to nod because I didn't trust my voice at the moment, but Ino popped up next to me with a huge smile on her face.

"Yes she does!" she answered happily before turning to face Tenten. "Oh Neji, I think Tenten said she needed to talk to you!"

Tenten turned, giving Ino a furious look. If looks could kill, the blond would already be under.

"I guess I'll see you guys later," Ino sang before bouncing off. Kiba nodded at us before following after his bubbly girlfriend.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow," I said, adjusting my bag slightly.

Hinata nodded at me and smiled. "Yep," she said.

"Yeah," Tenten said. "Oh! Don't forget that you promised to come to the dojo with me tomorrow," she reminded.

"I won't," I promised before following Sasuke to his car.

We were halfway to my house when he started talking.

"Do you need a ride for tomorrow?"

"Um, I dunno." I shrugged even though he probably didn't see it.

"Well, if you do, just let me know. I'm heading over to the dojo anyway."

"You are?" I turned to face him.

"Neji said he needed some more practice so he asked me to spar against him."

"Oh."

"So…a goddess?"

"I blame Hinata and Ino for that one," I said as the car stopped in front of my house. He chuckled and I smiled.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I said as I got out of the car.

"Just let me know if you need a ride," he mentioned.

"I will," I promised before walking to the front door. I waved at him before he drove off. I turned to unlock the door and sighed in relief to finally be home from school.

"Sasori!" I called out only to receive no answer. Hmmm. I walked into the kitchen and found a note taped to the fridge.

_Hey Sak,_

_I won't be home till later. My science professor has taken us out for some project. I promise to be back before 3:00 A.M. You can stay up till then. By the way I bought food from that little place you like. It has extra just in case Sasuke comes over._

_- The Puppet Master_

_P.S. – There's ice cream in the fridge._

I deposited my things in my room, took a quick shower, and sprawled out on the couch. Maybe I might need that ride tomorrow. I lazily clicked the TV on before grabbing my cell.

_**Hey**_

_Hey,_Sasuke sent.

_**Turns out I might need that ride lol**_

_No problem_

_**Yeah, Sasori's out on some class project thing**_

_Itachi too_

_**O**_

_Yep_

_**So Halloween huh?**_

_Goddess huh? :p _

_**Young samurai prince eh? :D**_

So that's how I spent the rest of the night – texting Sasuke, eating shrimps, and watching TV.

* * *

**Another chapter done! Review? **

**And here's a little treat! These are the links for the outfits for the girls. Just remove the spaces:**

Sakura's outfit: www. Kimonoonline p /sexy-salsa-kimono

Tenten's outfit: www. flirtcatalog p-93607-babe -a- lonian- warrior-queen .aspx

Hinata's outfit is the purple one: www. Promgirl shop/ dresses/ viewitem-PD601788

Ino's outfit except picture it in green: www. kaboodle reviews/ flower-pixie-costume-7


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: So many reviews! I love it! :D Glad that you guys think that the outfits were great!  
**

* * *

"How was the ice cream?" Sasori asked, popping up behind me while I was toasting some bread.

"Well, I won't know seeing as it was melted by the time I got to it," I stated grabbing my toast.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You dummy, you put it in the fridge instead of the freezer."

"Oh, I did?" he asked scratching his head. I nodded my head before swallowing my breakfast.

"Yah," I replied. "See ya later, Sasuke is here." I waved my phone at him to show my point before walking to the front door.

**XxXxXxX**

"Morning," I greeted as I slid into the passenger's seat of Sasuke's car.

"Morning," he greeted back. Today, he was dressed in loose basketball shorts and a simple no sleeve shirt.

"Did you get your outfit for tomorrow night?" I asked.

"No," he stated.

"So you're gonna look for it today?"

"More like my mom and the Dobe has made it their duty to get me or make me a costume."

"Your mom?"

"The Dobe came bursting into the kitchen this morning talking about princes and samurais. Caused my mom to ask questions and now both she and Naruto have and I quote, 'Taken it upon themselves to find the perfect costume for Sasuke-chan'."

I giggled at his expression.

"Remember what giggling did to you last time?" he mischievously asked. My mouth immediately stayed shut as I suddenly remembered the ruthless tickling attack he assaulted me with.

**XxXxXxX**

"Sakura! You're here!" Tenten exclaimed in relief as I walked through the door.

"I said I would be." She ran up to me and glomped me.

"It's awkward," she whispered in my ear.

"What's awkward?" I whispered back.

"Between me and Neji," she explained, her eyes shifting to look at him.

"What do you mean?" I was curious now. "What happened?"

"Well, we were sparring last week and we ended up in this, um, position, and then Lee walked in and started proclaiming the wonders of youth between this dojo's flower – me – and the dojo's prince or something like that. And we jumped apart from each other. It's been awkward ever since!"

"It's alright Tennie," I consoled, patting her arm. "If it makes you feel any better, a bunch of people – all at different times might I add – walked in on me and Sasuke almost kissing."

"It helps," she sniffed, "but it's still awkward between me and him. Whenever I go over to work on the project Hinata has to be in the room!"

"There, there," I comforted. "Sasuke's mom interrupted us and then told us to carry on with it! She even apologized for walking into the room."

"Haha," Tenten laughed. "Okay, I admit, that's really funny!"

"Don't worry about it, okay? It'll blow over in time," I reassured.

"So wanna spar with me?" she asked, changing topics.

"Sure, I guess," I answered. "But what about Gai-sensei and Lee?"

"They have one-on-one time. Gai and Lee always train together."

"Which means you and Neji always train together," I said. She nodded while leading me to the sparring area.

"But there are sometimes when Gai switches it up and I train with Lee," she explained.

"Oh." I looked around and saw Sasuke talking with Neji.

"So where are Lee and Gai-sensei?" I questioned curiously, noticing the two green clad figures were nowhere in sight.

"Out back," Tenten said, pointing behind herself. I nodded in understanding.

"So ready?" I asked getting into position.

"Mhmmm, I see that you came dressed for the occasion," she pointed out.

"I could move easily in my black mid-thigh shorts and red shirt," I stated.

"Well, let's start!" she said before sprinting forward, her fist aiming for my face.

"Well, well, I see we caught the attention of two people," I said while I ducked, my right leg knocking Tenten's feet from under her.

"Let's make this good then," she said hopping back up.

"Agreed," I said before we both started going at it.

Just as Tenten caught my oncoming fist, I kneed her in the stomach before twisting out of her grasp. She recovered and aimed a kick to my face and I dodged only for her to elbow me before hitting me in the stomach. I grabbed her fist, halting her punch, and twisted her hand behind her back before kicking her forward.

We were going at it nonstop for about an hour and a half before I punched Tenten one more time. She staggered a bit before falling to her knees.

"Okay, okay, you win," she admitted breathlessly.

I let my bottom hit the ground as I tried to catch my breath. I wiped at my forehead before looking over to see that Sasuke and Neji had actually taken a seat to watch us.

"That was a good match," I said to Tenten.

"Mhmm," she nodded. "You think that was a nice enough show for them?"

"I think it was plenty," I replied before getting up. I held out a hand for Tenten and she grabbed it. I helped her up and we both took a seat, watching as both Sasuke and Neji went to the sparring area.

"Think they are gonna show off?" Tenten questioned.

"Big time," I replied.

It only took a few seconds before those to were at it. Both dodged, kicked, and punched, but Neji was the one that received most of the hits.

"I guess now we see why Sasuke won all those competitions," Tenten said, her eyes flicking back and forth at the two on the mat.

I winced slightly as Sasuke got punched in the stomach, but he recovered quickly and kicked Neji in the ribs.

"How long do you think this would go on for?" Tenten curiously asked.

"Who knows," I answered.

Exactly two hours and five minutes later the match was finished and Sasuke stood victorious. He hoisted Neji up and the two of them walked towards us.

"Nice match," I complimented as Sasuke sat down next to me.

"Aa," he stated. His shirt was soaked with sweat, and since it was white and plastered onto his skin, I saw every move his muscles made when he wiped the sweat away from his face. I looked over at Tenten to stop myself from oogling, but I found Tenten in the same state as me. I gave her a pinch on her leg, causing her to look at me.

"You're oogling," I mouthed.

"Whoops," she mouthed back embarrassedly.

"Hey," I said turning to face Sasuke, "do you think that you could give us a ride to Ino's?"

"Aa."

"Thanks!" I smiled brightly at him.

**XxXxXxX**

"Thanks again," I said while exiting the vehicle.

"Aa," he said.

"So see you guys tomorrow?" I asked both him and Neji. The two nodded.

"Oh and Sasuke," I began.

"Hn?"

"Good luck," I said before giggling.

"Do I want to know?" Tenten asked as we walked to Ino's front door.

"Nah," I replied. "It's not that intriguing."

**XxXxXxX**

"So?" Ino asked.

"So?" I repeated.

"What happened when he dropped you home yesterday?"

"Nothing," I answered as we walked up the driveway to Mimi's house.

"No kiss on the cheek?" I shook my head no.

"Or passionate make-out sessions in his car that caused Sasori to come up and tap on the window like one of those police guys?" She pressed.

"Nope."

"Aw poo!" She exclaimed.

"Really Ino?" Tenten asked. "Tapping on the glass like a police?"

"Hey, it could happen!"

By now we were standing directly in front of the door to Mimi's house. Ino pressed the doorbell and a loud ding dong rang throughout the house.

"Ino dear!" Mimi greeted pulling the blond in for a hug once she opened the door. "Are these your friends?" she asked turning to face us.

"Yepper roo," Ino said. "This is Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten," she introduced, pointing at each one of us.

The woman looked us over with hazel colored eyes. She looked to be in her late thirties, had long black hair, and was roughly 5'6".

"Come in, come in," she ushered. We walked into a small area that opened up into the living room. "Make yourselves comfortable," she said before leaving the room.

"She has a nice house," Tenten commented while running her hand along the fabric of the couch.

"Mimi's the best," Ino stated, "and she isn't charging us a thing."

"Is that okay?" Hinata questioned from beside me.

"She said she isn't charging us and besides, she gets a lot of money from this job." Ino plopped down on the loveseat across from us and started playing with her hair.

"Um, Mimi-san," I began when I saw her enter the room with a pile of materials in her hand. "Do you need help?"

"No thank you sweetie," she said politely while dropping the materials on a large table in the room.

I watched as she sorted things out before pulling out Ino's bright colored papers. "Ino, we'll start with you," she said.

Ino hopped off the loveseat and bounce over to Mimi. "Now just stand right there and hold out your arms away from you," Mimi instructed while pulling out a measuring tape. After taking Ino's measurements, she beckoned for me to come over.

"You have such a lovely shape!" she complimented after measuring my waist, hips, arms, and bust.

"I know! She used to wear such baggy clothes before freshman year, Mimi," Ino mentioned. "In fact, sometimes during freshman year, she still wore baggy clothing."

After measuring Tenten and Hinata, Mimi got to work on our costumes. We all decided to stay for a while and just spent the time talking.

"I was thinking," Ino started.

"Uh oh, bad sign," Tenten joked, earning her a punch from the blond.

"I was kidding!" Tenten rubbed her arm while pouting.

"You know you love me," Ino stated. Tenten just stuck her tongue out at Ino. "Anyway, continuing on. I was thinking that maybe Monday we could skip school."

"Skip school?" Hinata asked, her eyes wide.

"Ino, I know that Tsunade is my cousin, but I don't think that she will let all of us just skip school," I informed.

"Well, Halloween is on Sunday and there is no way that we will be coming home early," Ino reasoned, "so I just thought that maybe all of us could skip."

"Even if we skip, what will we do?" Tenten asked.

"And Ino, my parents are gonna be back on Monday," I said.

"Well, why don't we have a welcome back party for your parents?" Ino asked. "That way we can skip school and spend it together while doing something productive."

"I have to say, that doesn't sound bad," Tenten admitted.

"But how would I explain skipping to my dad?" Hinata questioned.

"Just oversleep," Mimi piped up from her sewing machine.

"There's your answer," Ino said.

"A party requires food and decorations, Ino," I said. "And what about Tsunade?"

"Just give her a few bottles of sake and we're good to go! And don't worry about the food and decorations; my parents could handle that." Ino smiled brightly.

I just shook my head at the blond. "Alright," I sighed. "I'll just let Sasori know." I pulled out my phone and dialed my brother.

"Uh huh, yeah, okay bye," I said before hanging up.

"Well?" Ino asked.

"We're good to go," I stated.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, it's time for SHOE SHOPPING!" Ino exclaimed, hopping up from her seat while grabbing my arm in the process.

"Shoe shopping?" I questioned as the blond dragged me across the room.

"Duh! We need the perfect shoes for those outfits! We'll see you tomorrow Mimi!"

"Bye dearies!" Mimi said before Ino shoved all of us out the door.

**XxXxXxX**

"No, I don't think I like that one," I said as Hinata walked up and down the aisle with a pair of heels she just picked out.

"Try this," Ino said, handing her two and a half inch silver heels. "Don't worry, it's comfortable to walk in."

"Oooo, it's even decorated pretty," Tenten commented as she watched the girl put on the heels.

"That's the one!" I said happily, relieved that we at least found one pair of shoes in the half an hour that we have been here.

"Now for your heels," Ino said, turning to me. She held up black, glittery three inch heels with white and red rhinestones. "Try it now," she commanded.

"Yes, bossy one," I answered while taking the heels from her. They fit comfortably and I walked around in them for a bit. "I like it." I looked in the little mirror and saw how it looked on my feet.

"Knew you would!" Ino exclaimed before handing Tenten a pair of heels. "These are perfect, eh?"

Tenten nodded and accepted the heels without a fuss. She tried them on to make sure that they were the right size before we went to pay for them.

"I don't know about you guys," Ino started as we walked out of the store, "but I need accessories."

"I might need earrings," I said.

"Earrings," Tenten also said.

"Do you need anything Hinata?" Ino asked, turning to face the quiet girl. Hinata shook her head no. "Well, let's go!" Ino exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. We took off after her and ended up looking through different types of jewelry for about an hour.

"I like these." I held up a pair of red and gold dangly earrings.

"Well, buy them," Ino told me.

"I will," I said back. I walked over to the cashier and bought the earrings before heading back over to the girls.

"Wear these," Ino said to Tenten, holding up black and silver earrings. "And I'll take these," she informed, showing us green hoops and green bracelets.

Hinata and I waited for the two to pay for their items before we all walked to the water fountain situated outside.

"So what now?" I asked looking at the time on my phone. The numbers 5:53 was displayed in white.

"Um, you guys wanna grab a bite to eat?" Tenten asked.

"Sure, but where?" I questioned.

"Ummmmm," she began. "Oh I know!" she exclaimed. "That place that's like a couple minutes away from the flower shop."

"Oh, I know where you're talking about," Ino said. "That place has some nice food."

"Well, let's go!" I said, my stomach growling in agreement.

**XxXxXxX**

"This smells so good!" I inhaled the heavenly scent of the food.

"Mhmm," Tenten agreed taking a bite out of hers.

"So tomorrow I'll pick you guys up at twelve and we'll go to Mimi's; then after that we could get some lunch before going home and getting ready," Ino informed.

I nodded in understanding as I took a sip of my drink. "So where will we all meet up?" I questioned.

"How about your place?" the blonde suggested.

"Alright," I agreed.

"Should the guys meet us at your house?" Hinata asked.

"I guess," I answered. We spent the rest of the time talking about Halloween and the party that was to come.

* * *

**Okay, so the Halloween chapter is next. I decided not to write it in this chapter because it would be overly long. But I do hope that you like this chapter. Please review? **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! You make me happy!**

* * *

"Ino, did you by any chance pick up any Halloween candy bags so we could put our candy in?" I asked the blonde who was currently driving us to Mimi's.

"Hey Tenten," she called out to the bun-haired girl in the backseat.

"Yes?" Tenten answered.

"Reach under my seat," Ino commanded.

"Uh here," Tenten said unsurely, handing the blonde a box.

"Here's our trick-or-treating bags," Ino stated, shoving the box towards me.

"Garbage bags?" I questioned incredulously, looking down at the yellow box with a white garbage bag on it.

"Not just any old garbage bag, Forehead. It's Glad Forceflex garbage bags," she stated. "It won't burst!" she happily exclaimed. I shook my head at the blonde as she drove up the driveway to Mimi's house.

"Alright, out," Ino barked.

We all piled out and followed Ino to the front door. "Hello Mimi," Ino chirped when the door opened.

"Hello," she greeted. We murmured our greetings before following the woman inside.

"So how are the costumes coming along?" Ino asked.

"Actually, I'm finished with them," she stated pointing to a rack in the corner of the room.

I couldn't believe that she finished four costumes in less than two days; but when I looked to where her finger was pointing I found all the costumes on the rack.

"Told ya she was the best," Ino cockily stated.

"Well, don't just stand there! Try them on!" Mimi bellowed.

We each picked up our individual costumes and walked into a room down the hall that Mimi said we could use to change. I slipped into the kimono, noticing that it was a perfect fit, and turned to look at myself in the mirror. I stood there just staring at myself; the kimono looked beautiful, but I hated to admit that it was a bit too short. I faced the others and saw that they too were just staring at themselves in the mirror.

"These are wonderful," Hinata breathed out. Indeed, there were.

"I can't believe this is me and that I am wearing something like this," Tenten stated, turning slightly in the mirror.

"Well, it is," Ino said before ushering us out of the room to show Mimi.

"My, don't you ladies look lovely," Mimi said running her hazel eyes over us.

"Um, Mimi-san?" I mumbled.

"Yes sweetie?"

"I think it's a little too short," I informed, looking down at the fabric that was well above mid-thigh.

"Sakura," Ino began.

"Ino, I'm serious," I stated. "If I bend over my whole ass is gonna be showing."

"Well, I could get you really short shorts that could fit under that," Ino said.

"Thanks," I said. "But I still want it to be a little longer."

Ino sighed before turning to face Mimi. "Can you add a few inches to it so that it reaches her mid-thigh?" Ino asked kindly.

"It's no problem," Mimi said waving her hand in the air.

"And now that I think about it, mine could be a little longer and so can Tenten's," Ino informed while looking down at her costume which was about an inch or two higher than mine's.

"Let me just measure how much I need to add and then I'll have these ready for you in about an hour," Mimi explained, pulling out a roll of measuring tape from a drawer nearby. She proceeded to measure Tenten, Ino, and I before she steered us down the hallway to the room we came out of.

We decided to wait the hour for our costumes instead of leaving and coming back to pick them up. I was currently sitting on the brown colored sofa with Tenten's head lying in my lap.

"I really hope that we don't run into Karin," Tenten sighed out.

"At least this time Sakura would be there and Sasuke won't be bothered immensely," Ino stated.

"What do you mean this time?" I questioned with one eyebrow raised.

"Well," Hinata began from the seat across from mine's. "Remember when you thought Sasuke was angry at you and you skipped lunch?" I nodded.

"Karin decided to push herself onto Sasuke," Ino explained.

"What?" I hissed, my eyes narrowing.

"Don't worry," Tenten said from my lap. "We protected him for you," she reassured.

"Yeah, Hinata was basically like a bodyguard," Ino piped up. "She blocked Karin and Suigetsu sat in the empty space beside Sasuke."

"Oh!" Tenten exclaimed. "Naruto made her look so dumb." She laughed for a couple of minutes.

"Now that's really shameful," I stated causing Tenten to erupt into laughter again.

Just then my phone started vibrated from my pocket. "My head is vibrating," Tenten stated before giggling. I poked her cheek before fishing my phone out of my pocket.

"Hello?"

'_Hey Pinky!'_ Suigetsu's voice boomed.

"Hey Sui, what's up?" I asked.

"Hey sweet thang," Ino hollered loud enough for him to hear.

"What's crackalackin' Sharkboy?" Tenten loudly asked.

'_Haha, I'm good. Are you guys going trick-or-treating?'_

"Yeah! Are you?"

'_Nah, Imma be giving out candy so stop by.'_

"Sure," I said while swatting away Tenten's poking fingers.

'_So how are you and Sasuke?' _His tone dripped of mischievousness.

"We're fine," I answered.

'_How fine?'_

"Fine," I said.

'_Finer than fine?'_

"Yes," I laughed out causing him to laugh.

'_Tell Ino she's looking good,' _he joked.

"Ino, Sui said you looking good."

"Damn right," she barked.

Suigetsu laughed before bidding us farewell. "He says to stop by his house when we go trick-or-treating."

"Alright," Ino said before Mimi interrupted our conversation. After retrieving our dresses and thanking Mimi immensely for the work she did, we headed out for lunch before each going our separate ways to get ready for later.

I had just stepped foot inside the house when a masked figure and a creepy life-sized puppet popped up in front my face. I acted on instinct and punched the masked figure in the stomach, watching as he fell to the floor.

"Come on Sak," my brother started pulling the mask off his face. "Was that really necessary?"

"Well, I keep telling you not to scare me," I stated walking around his hunched form.

"You suck," he said looking as I headed to my room.

"And you never learn. Now go play with your friends," I stated.

"Hey what's that?" he questioned, pointing to the black bag I held.

"My costume for tonight," I answered before going to my room.

I took my costume out from the bag and laid it down gently on the bed, careful not to cause it any damage, before I grabbed the heels I bought yesterday and set them at the foot of the bed. I grabbed the earrings that were on my dresser and put them next to the costume before searching my drawer for red and gold bangles.

After two minutes I finally found them and set them on the bed. I pulled open another drawer and snatched my make-up bag and a glittery, deep red nail polish. I took a seat on the edge of my bed and unzipped my make-up bag, pulling out red, gold, and white eyeshadow, black eyeliner, mascara, and a light pink strawberry flavored lip-gloss.

Checking the time, I noticed that it was a little after two. Deciding that it would be best to shower now, I grabbed some clothes and headed into the bathroom.

**XxXxXxX**

When I finally emerged from the bathroom, I heard my phone vibrating against the wood of my dresser. Throwing my towel on the back of my computer chair, I rushed forward to grab the device before it stopped.

"Hello?"

'_Hey.'_ Sasuke's velvety voice said.

"Hi," I said, a smile erupting on my face. "Did you get your outfit?"

I heard him sigh and I giggled. _'Yes, I got it.' _There was a pause before he spoke again. _'Naruto said something about all of us meeting at your place?'_

"Yeah," I answered.

'_What time should I come over?'_ I glanced at the little clock I had in the room which read 2:43.

"Um, five should be good," I said.

'_Aa.'_

"Well, bye," I said.

'_Bye,' _he said before the line went dead. Dropping my phone on my bed, I picked up my nail polish and began applying a layer to my toenails before letting them dry and repeating the process for a second time. I moved onto my fingernails and gave it the same treatment like my toes before I cautiously switched on the TV.

I held my hands in front of the fan for about half an hour while I watched Spongebob. Deciding that my fingernails needed to dry a little faster, I headed down stairs to the kitchen. I opened the freezer and stuck both hands inside, cautious of touching anything.

This was a trick my mom taught me once. I was complaining that my nails wouldn't dry fast enough at the time and she stated that I should just shove my hands into the freezer and let the cold dry them.

"What are you doing?" my brother asked as he entered the kitchen. I looked over to see him watching me like I was crazy.

"Drying my nails," I answered. I never seem to understand why when painting my fingernails with nail polish, it seems to take longer to dry than my toes.

"Oh," he said before moving towards the cabinet.

"Yep." I stood in the kitchen with my hands in the freezer for half an hour – just to make sure my nails were dry – before pulling them out. After shaking my hands back and forth repeatedly, I made my way upstairs and checked the time on my phone. I only had about an hour left before Sasuke came over.

I slipped into my kimono and combed my hair – half up and half down with my regular bangs framing my face. I took the part of my hair that was half up and put it in a bun, tying it securely with a black ribbon. Next I dealt with my make-up which took me a total of fifteen minutes.

I looked in the mirror and was satisfied with my work. Now came the jewelry and heels. When I was finished, I turned to look at myself in the full body mirror that was hanging on the back of my bedroom door and I was speechless. I twirled slowly once, then twice before I looked at myself again. Everything looked so perfect that it stunned me. I couldn't really believe I could look so beautiful.

I moved away from my mirror, grabbed my phone, and headed downstairs to wait in the living room for Sasuke and the others. As I stepped down from the last step, my brother walked out of the kitchen and looked me over from head to toe.

"Nice," he commented. "But what are you supposed to be?"

"Thanks," I said. "And according to Hinata and Ino, I'm supposed to be a goddess."

"I'll get the camera."

"Really?" I sighed out.

"Yep." I watched as he disappeared upstairs to get his black camera.

While waiting on the couch for my brother, there was a knock on the door and I glanced at the clock, noting that it was just a minute after five. I got up and opened the door only to be met by Sasuke dressed in a navy blue kimono with black armor. Attached to his side was a sheathed sword – fake I'm sure.

My eyes traveled over his figure before landing on his face. I watched as his eyes raked over my entire being and I suppressed a shiver while trying my best not to fidget under his dark eyes.

**Sasuke's POV**

When she opened the door, I felt as though my breath was knocked out of me. She was standing in front of me wearing a costume that left me speechless. My eyes took in every piece of her; from her long, creamy legs to her emerald green eyes. She really did look like a goddess – an out of this world one at that.

**Sakura's POV**

I felt heat building up in my cheeks when his eyes finally found mine. "Come in," I managed to say while moving aside so he could enter. He took a seat on the couch and I sat next him, tapping my fingers against my thigh as I waited for my brother to show up.

My phone vibrated against my left thigh and I looked down. Picking it up I read the text and a frown made its way to my face.

'_Be there at six with everyone.'_ Ino really should discuss timing next time.

"SAKURA! I FOUND IT!" my brother yelled, his heavy footsteps rushing down the stairs. "Oh, hi Sasuke," Sasori said once he saw Sasuke.

"Hn," Sasuke said.

"Come on you two! I want a picture," he said motioning us over. With a sigh I got up and walked to where my brother pointed. Sasuke followed me and Sasori pointed the camera at us. "SMILE!" he said excitedly.

I did and the flash went off. I watched as my brother looked down at the picture before looking back up at us. "Closer together," he commanded. Me and Sasuke moved towards each other, our arms now brushing against each other. The flash went off again and I saw spots.

"Ok, I want individual ones now," Sasori said. After snapping two shots of me and then two of Sasuke, we were finally left in peace.

"Do you want something to drink?" I asked turning to face Sasuke. He shook his head no and we were once again enveloped in silence. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and watched as he ran a hand through his hair.

KNOCK KNOCK

I almost jumped at the sound of knocking coming from the door. I left Sasuke's side and went to open the door.

"Sakura!" two loud voices happily exclaimed before I was enveloped into hugs. I watched as two blonde headed beings tried to shove each other off of me.

"Move it Ino, she's my god-sister," Naruto said shoving the platinum blond aside.

"No way you whisker face ramen freak! She's my bestfriend!" Ino shoved back.

"As much as I love the attention, would you two stop ruining my outfit?" Both blondes stopped their shoving and sheepishly backed away from me. "Thank you," I said before allowing them to enter.

"Ready?" Tenten asked as she stood next to me. I nodded and her smile grew.

"Wait, wait, wait," Ino demanded. "We need pictures before we leave!" She pulled out her purple camera and motioned for us to join her.

"Hinata and Naruto, you two lovebirds go first," Ino said. The two stood by one of the bare walls in the room smiling brightly. Ino took a couple of shots of them in different positions before handing me the camera and pulling Kiba with her.

I took about five shots before she grabbed the camera from my hands, shoving me and Sasuke forward in the process. After two shots she looked at us. "Get closer," she commanded. We did as she told us, getting into the same position as the one we gave Sasori before. The camera flashed again before she shoved it into Kiba's hands.

"Come on, pose!" she demanded walking up to us. She took Sasuke's hands and placed them on my hips before shoving me closer to him. "Hmmm…lean on him," she stated. I swallowed dryly before she narrowed her eyes at me.

I leaned onto him and Ino gave me a smile. "Ok!" she exclaimed, bouncing back to Kiba. She took another shot before repositioning me and Sasuke again – this time I was pulled into his chest with his arms wrapped around my waist.

After taking the last of the pictures – with a hard to budge Tenten – we set off to go retrieve candy. We decided to take Sasuke's and Ino's car and park them at Suigetsu's.

"I thought I told you guys to come here last," he said opening the door.

"We are coming here last," Ino stated. "We just needed some place to park."

"Moocher," Suigetsu said.

"Sharing is caring," Ino sang as she walked away from him and his house. "Are you guys coming or what?" she called back to us.

"See ya later," Tenten said.

**XxXxXxX**

"Okay, so we already went to ten houses," Ino said turning to face us. "So I think now we should map out where else we are gonna go."

"Well, let's finish up this street and then move on to the other one," Tenten said.

"OOOOO, LET'S GO THERE!" Naruto yelled, bouncing up and down with his finger pointed forward.

I followed the invisible path his finger made and found myself looking at a house heavily decorated with Halloween items. The yard was filled with fake graves, jack-o-lanterns, and fake skeletons. Also, the house was covered with fake spider webs and the stone path that led to the house had gruesome looking figures decorating it on each side.

"Looks like someone loves Halloween," I stated as Naruto bounded up the stairs.

Even the doorbell sounded creepy when Naruto rang it.

"Trick-or-treat," the blond said as we all gathered behind of him.

"What nice costumes," a lady said looking all of us over. She brought out a big bowl filled to the brim with candy and preceded to fill our big bags.

"Thank you," we all said before walking away.

"She gave us a lot," Tenten said while opening her bag to take a peek inside.

We finished up with the houses on this street before walking to the next one. I switched my candy bag over to my right hand, and as I did, my hand brushed against Sasuke's. In that small moment I felt a jolt of electricity go through my hand to my arm and then spread throughout the rest of my body.

"Hey!" a voice called out when we were on the other street. I turned to the voice and saw the cashier guy from that one store.

"Oh great," I muttered.

"Who's that?" Tenten asked, leaning closer to me.

"The cashier guy," I whispered.

"That's him?" she questioned.

"Yeah," I answered as the guy walked closer to us. I noticed that he had a group of friends around him.

"You're that girl," the guy said stopping in front of me. "Nice outfit." I watched as his eyes roamed my body.

"Yeah," I said awkwardly, huddling closer to Sasuke.

"So this is the guy that your brother said was your boyfriend?" he questioned, looking Sasuke over.

"What of it?" Sasuke's voice said as he came to stand in front of me.

"Oh nothing; I was just wondering how a girl like that is with a guy like you," he stated nonchalantly.

I was surprised when I heard a low growl coming from Sasuke. In an effort to calm him down, I laid a hand on his arm and leaned into him to whisper in his ear.

"Come on, let's go." I tugged on his arm gently but he remained rooted to the spot. "Sasuke," I whispered. He finally looked at me.

"Forget him," I said lowly.

"Hn." He turned and wrapped an arm around my shoulders – making me blush – and led me away from the guy and his group of friends.

"Hey Pinky!" the cashier shouted. "If you and your friends ever get tired of those guys, you know where to find me!"

I felt myself getting angry now. Before I could turn around to give him a piece of my mind, I heard him shouting out in pain.

"Whoops, sorry," Ino said, not a hint of regret in her voice. "I didn't mean to walk on your feet."

"Whatever, let's go," the guy said.

Sasuke's arm was still wrapped around my shoulders as we headed in the opposite direction of the guy. I felt giddy that he left his arm there intentionally and bright smile lit up my face.

"Man this bag will never be half-filled," Naruto complained after we visited four more houses.

**XxXxXxX**

"Okay, I was wrong," Naruto admitted. "This bag is more than half-filled," he stated as we started walking back to Suigetsu's house.

"Man, my feet are killing me," I said to Hinata. They really were. I mean, yeah, the shoes were really comfy and easy to walk in, but being in them for such a long time really makes your feet start to hurt no matter how comfy it is.

"How can you stand these?" I asked looking at Hinata.

"I got use to it. With a family like mine, you have to," she informed.

"Gah." I huffed and pouted before wincing slightly.

Sasuke paused causing me to look at him. Removing his arm from around my shoulders, he got in front of me.

"Get on," he said bending slightly.

"Huh?" was all I managed to get out.

"Get on. I'll carry you the rest of the way," he stated.

"You don't have to," I began protesting.

"Sakura," he said in a tone of finality. I sighed and climbed onto his back.

"Dobe," he said.

"What?" Naruto questioned before Sasuke's candy bag went hurling at the blond.

"Hold that," Sasuke commanded before letting his hands grab my thighs. I blushed immensely and buried my face in his shoulder.

"I'll just hold this," Tenten said before taking my candy bag away.

I looked around as we walked towards Suigetsu's house and caught Ino's eyes. She smiled mischievously at me and winked before gesturing with her hands some very interesting things. I blushed and buried my face back in Sasuke's shoulders, determined not to catch eyes with the blond again.

**Sasuke's POV**

After that uneventful run-in with that idiotic cashier, we went to a couple more houses before calling it a night. I never once moved my arm from around Sakura's shoulders and having her not move it one bit made me smirk in satisfaction.

Hearing her complain about walking though made me feel like I should do something about it and so I did. Giving up some of my pride to act soft in front of the others, I told her to get onto my back, saying that I would carry her the rest of the way. Stopping her protests, I called to the dobe, threw my bag at him, and let both my hands grip Sakura's thighs, holding her in place.

I heard her intake of breath and felt her bury her face into my shoulder at my actions and a big smirk made itself present on my face.

**XxXxXxX**

**Sakura's POV**

"Looks like you guys received a big bounty!" Suigetsu exclaimed when seeing our garbage bags.

"That we did," Naruto said.

"Well, have the rest of these," Suigetsu said, opening his door wider to show us about twenty bags filled with candy.

"Dude, those are like super-sized bags," Tenten said eyeing the chocolate.

"Yeah, help yourselves."

"Is this why you called us here last?" I questioned from Sasuke's back – which by the way is very comfy and muscley (I could tell because I could feel them when he shifts).

"Yep," he said before letting us raid him of all his candy.

"Well, goodnight guys," he said, waving to us.

"Bye," us girls called out.

"Hey Teme, here's your candy," Naruto said handing him the bag once he let me down.

"Keep it," he said. The blond's eyes grew big.

"Really?"

"Aa," Sasuke said before being enveloped in a big hug.

"Dobe, let go," Sasuke said, whacking Naruto over the head. Naruto released him and grabbed the bag of candy before skipping over to Ino's car.

"Here ya go Saks," Tenten said, handing me my bag.

"Thanks," I said.

"Let me know what happens between you two," she whispered before waltzing away. I rolled my eyes at her and placed the candy filled bag in the backseat.

**XxXxXxX**

The ride home was silent as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary, EXCEPT FOR SASUKE PASSING MY HOUSE! What the heck?

"Um Sasuke?" I asked.

"Hn?"

"You just passed my house," I said.

"Someone's tailing us," he replied, his voice hard.

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**So? How was that? Bet you didn't see that one coming, huh? What happens next? Well, I know, but you don't! Heehee! Please review! Please? **


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: You guys really make my day! I was surprised at the number of reviews actually! But I like them! Keep 'em coming, heehee!**

* * *

_**Recap: **_

_The ride home was silent as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary, EXCEPT FOR SASUKE PASSING MY HOUSE! What the heck?  
_

"_Um Sasuke?" I asked. _

"_Hn?"_

"_You just passed my house," I said._

"_Someone's tailing us," he replied, his voice hard._

**Now…**

"W-what?" I spluttered.

"Don't turn around," he ordered, his voice cold and flat.

I chose the next best option and looked behind me through the side view mirror on the passenger's side of the car only to see that indeed a vehicle was tailing us with it's headlights off. I turned back to Sasuke and opened my mouth to say something, but shut it once I saw that he was on his phone.

**Sasuke's POV**

'_Hey lil cuz! Wazup? Heard you went out tonight with that girl you like!'_

"Shisui, now's not the time," I said into my phone. "Someone's tailing us."

'_What? Someone's tailing you?'_

"I was going to drop off Sakura, but I caught onto them fifteen minutes ago," I explained before taking a sharp right turn.

'_Can you tell me any details about the vehicle?' _my cousin asked seriously. _'Color, type, license plate number?'_

"Sakura, can you tell me what color the vehicle behind us is, and give me the type of vehicle and the license plate number?"

**Sakura's POV**

I looked through the mirror again and caught the color of the vehicle as it passed under a street light. "It's a black Cadillac Escalade," I answered. "Ummm…" I hummed out as I tried to see the numbers and letters on the white plate. "I can't see anything else; the vehicle is to far away."

**Sasuke's POV**

"It's a black Cadillac Escalade. We can't get the license plate number," I informed.

"That's alright," Shusui said.

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I figured as much. I'll be waiting outside and just act normal. You don't want whoever it is behind of you knowing that you are aware of them."

"Aa," I said before snapping my phone shut.

**Sakura's POV**

I kept my mouth shut as Sasuke drove. I can't believe someone was tailing us all this time, but then again it's Halloween. Who knows what can happen on this night?

I sighed and let my head hit the back of the headrest. First a run-in with that cashier guy and now someone's following us. Great, just great.

I turned my head and watched the vehicle behind from the mirror, hoping to catch sight of who might be driving it, but I had no such luck. Not only were they too far away but the darkness of night also made them harder to see.

**XxXxXxX**

"Hey man! What's up? Is this her?" a guy asked as I stood silently beside Sasuke.

"Aa," was Sasuke's reply.

"Hey, my name's Shisui! I'm Sasuke's cousin, but I don't think you remember me," he said as the black Escalade drove by.

"Um no, sorry," I said while watching the black vehicle from the corner of my eye.

The SUV disappeared around a corner and the atmosphere became tense. "My dad set up a camera minutes before you came. He is monitoring everything from inside and most likely he obtained the license plate number. We'll track it and see where it leads. I recommend you guys waiting it out here for a good twenty minutes or so before heading back just in case whoever was following you is still lurking around waiting for you to leave."

"Thanks," was all Sasuke said before guiding me inside.

**XxXxXxX**

"She's so pretty, Sasuke-chan" a lady with long black hair said.

"That's my mom," Shisui said leading us further inside.

"Hey Sasuke! Is that her?"

"Yeah man! Is it?"

"She's sexy!"

"Good pick man!"

"When's the wedding?"

"When were you gonna introduce her to us?"

I bowed my head slightly in embarrassment as I heard such comments as we made our way to the back area of the police department.

"Ignore the family," Shisui said, smiling brightly. Half of Sasuke's family owns the police department in Konoha and the other half, which includes Sasuke's dad, owns a big business – the one that my parents work at.

"So she's Sakura," a gruff voice sounded from the left.

"Hey Dad!" Shisui exclaimed, giving the old man a pat on the back.

"I managed to capture the license plate number with the camera I installed," Shisui's dad informed while leading us into his office. "Aside from the information you gave us, this is all we have. The windows on the vehicle were heavily tinted and as a result we were not able to identify if the driver was male or female. We also could not determine if there was more than one person in the vehicle."

I bit my lip as my mind whirled around various reasons of why someone was following us. There could be multiple reasons and not only that, but who and why. And then there's that cashier guy that we ran into today. Who knows if it's him and his lackeys. Gah, so much to take in!

"Sasuke, I'll let you know if I find any thing else."

**XxXxXxX**

I sat down on a plush chair in a room that seemed to be a relaxation section for small breaks. "Here." A cup of hot coffee was shoved in front of my face.

"Thanks," I said looking up at Sasuke. When I took the cup, my fingers brushed his and I felt that electric jolt once again.

I sipped my coffee in silence, not minding at all that it was hot. No matter how much I tried, I just couldn't get this whole thing out of my head. I mean of all people, why does it have to be me that got followed home? And if Sasuke caught on to it fifteen minutes before he even told me, that means that whoever it was started following us a couple minutes after we left Suigetsu's place. Does that mean that for the whole entire night they were watching me? the whole group?

"Hi sweetie," Shisui's mom said.

I offered her the best smile I could give at the moment.

"Well aren't you just the prettiest thing," she stated.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"Don't worry about a thing, ok? We have everything covered," she reassured. "We won't let anything happen to you." She looked at Sasuke then and gave him the biggest smile ever before turning back to face me. "It'll be ok." She left the room shortly after that and Sasuke and I was once again plunged back into silence.

"When can we go home?" I asked finally feeling tired from everything. We spent about forty-five minutes in this place, and all I really wanted to do was go home and sleep.

"In a couple of minutes," he answered softly. I nodded and returned to sipping the now warm liquid in my cup.

**XxXxXxX**

"Bring her over to one of the family get-togethers next time, ne?" Sasuke's uncle said before we drove off.

"Your family's friendly," I commented.

"Hn," he replied.

I sank back into the seats, not even trying to put up a fight against the tiredness I was feeling. I felt my eyes growing heavy and all I did was blink, trying to stay awake until I got home.

The car stopped and I looked up questioningly at Sasuke when I noticed we were by his house.

"Pit stop," he said before getting out of the vehicle and coming around to retrieve me.

He left me in the kitchen while he went up to his room. I folded my hands on the granite countertop and placed my head on top of my hands.

"Sakura?" Mikoto questioned as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hello," I sleepily mumbled.

"What are you doing here? It's after one in the morning!"

"Trick-or-treating…going home…Shisui…Sasuke saying pit stop," I muttered.

"Oh dear! You poor thing! You must be really tired!"

I finally dozed off, but it was only for a couple of minutes because Sasuke came into the room and woke me up.

"Sasu-chan!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Why do you have Sakura-chan out so late?" she demanded to know.

"I'll explain later," I heard Sasuke say. "Or call Shisui."

Sasuke guided me out of the kitchen and the house to his car. He even strapped me down with the seatbelt because I was to sleepy to even think about what I was doing.

**XxXxXxX**

"Sakura, wake up."

"Nooo," I whined, swatting at the thing that was trying to wake me up. I just wanted to sleep in my fluffy bed without any interruptions.

"Sakura," the thing said firmly.

"Whaaaat," I mumbled out.

"We're by your house," the voice said. Well, of course we are by my house because I am in my bed and I am comfortably asleep.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, shooting up. I glared at the person who pinched me.

"You didn't want to wake up," Sasuke said. Oh, so he was the thing.

I blinked a couple of times before noticing that I was not in my house, but outside of it in Sasuke's car with him standing right beside me with the passenger door opened.

"Come on," he said offering me a hand. I took it and he pulled me out.

"Hey, what's with the bag? Where'd ya get it?" I asked, feeling sleepy again.

"At my house," he replied while leading me to the front door. "Where's your keys?" he asked as he tried the doorknob.

"In ma pocket." I yawned.

"Can you give me it?" he asked.

I lazily and slowly reached into the pocket in my costume that was sort of hidden and grabbed the keys before shoving it in his face.

"Hey your home," Sasori said poking his head downstairs. "Oh, Sasuke."

"Hn."

"Bring her upstairs," Sasori said.

"I don't think she'll make it that far," Sasuke's velvety voice said from beside me.

"Well, just let her sleep on the couch," my brother called down. Sasuke led me to the couch and placed me down before dropping his bag next to my feet.

"I'll be right back," he said before leaving me in the quiet room. I slipped off my heels and laid down on the couch.

**Normal POV**

"I need to talk to you," Sasuke said appearing in Sasori's doorway.

"If it's about keeping her out late tonight, it's fine. I know that when she's with you, she's safe."

"This is serious," Sasuke explained grimly.

Sasori turned away from his puppet and motioned for Sasuke to come into the room. "What's going on?"

"Someone was tailing us tonight."

"Tailing you?" Sasori asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I caught on to what was happening and went straight to the station. My uncle says that he's gonna track the license plate number. If he finds anything he'll let me know."

"I wonder why somebody would be tailing you guys," Sasori said.

"I don't know, but I think I should at least stay the night here."

"Worried about her?"

"Hn."

A small smile broke out on Sasori's face as he watched the raven-haired teen in front of him. _'You're all grown up now, huh? But I know you would do anything to protect her.'_

"Yeah, you could stay," Sasori agreed.

"Aa," Sasuke responded.

"You probably need clothes to change into, huh," Sasori said eyeing the kimono.

"I got that covered," Sasuke replied.

"No nakedness around my sister till you two are married ya hear," Sasori said jokingly before letting the boy go.

It was quiet when Sasuke returned downstairs. Approaching the couch, he saw Sakura already asleep.

'_Guess she'll have to stay like that till tomorrow.'_

He left the room with his bag only to return dressed in a white vest and black shorts. He took a spot on the couch next to the one Sakura was quietly laying on and tried his best to not make any noises, but he failed.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"No offense or anything," Sakura mumbled while rubbing her eyes, "But why are you still in my house?"

"Staying over."

"Sasori agreed?"

"Aa."

"You don't look comfortable over there. Why don't you come over here?" she questioned lazily patting a random spot on the couch.

'_Maybe it's the lack of sleep that's causing me to say that,'_ she reasoned to herself. That was the only explanation that she could come up with, considering that she was already almost back asleep.

"I'm fine over here," Sasuke reassured, shifting more into the couch.

"No you're not," she tiredly argued. "Come," she beckoned, her index finger indicating for him to come to her.

'_Definitely the lack of sleep,' _she said to herself as she watched Sasuke sigh in defeat.

* * *

**So here's another chapter. I know it's not that long compared to the last one, but I felt like I should have ended it there. **

**Anyways, the identity of the person will remain a secret for now. All will come to light soon my little ones. Hahaha XD**

**Review? Please? **


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: As always, I would like to thank each and every one of you for reviewing. I'm glad that you guys seem to enjoy this story.  
**

* * *

**Sakura's POV**

I woke up, feeling something warm, soft, and firm underneath me. Shifting slightly, I felt something relatively heavy wrapped tightly around my waist. I looked down to see an arm draped snuggly fit around me, and I looked up to see Sasuke's face close to mine.

Oh. ..

…

…OH!

Wait, what happened? And then suddenly everything from last night played through my mind. Aw, dammit, I blame the lack of sleep for making me end up in this situation.

I tried to slowly ease my way out of his hold only to fail miserably when his arm tightened around me. I blushed slightly at the close proximity and tried again only to receive the same results. Blowing a strand of hair out of my face, I laid there slightly propped up on my elbows.

I suddenly heard footsteps coming from the staircase and expectantly waited for Sasori to enter the room. I watched as his red mess of hair move down the last step.

"Good morning…" he trailed off as he watched me.

"Help," I stated, trying to move again.

He watched as I failed dejectedly before coming over to stand beside me. Squatting down and placing a hand to his chin, he assessed the situation.

"Well?" I asked expectantly.

"I could help," he answered before turning to grab a pillow.

"You sure this is gonna work?" I asked as he fluffed the pillow.

"It possibly might," he stated as he helped me lift Sasuke's arm. I looked up when I felt Sasuke moving from underneath me.

"Um, you might wanna hurry up there," I said only to have Sasuke's other arm wrap around my waist.

"Aw dammit!" I whisper-yelled. "Sasori, you nincompoop, get me out of here!"

"I tried lil sis, I tried," he said shrugging.

"So that's it?" I questioned.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" he questioned.

"Um, I dunno; maybe try again," I stated obviously.

"Why don't you just wake him up?"

"Sasori, you naïve imbecile, I can't wake him up. That would leave both me and him in an awkward situation, and I want to avoid awkward, thank you very much."

"And what you are in right now isn't awkward?"

"Not as much as being in this position when he wakes up," I explained.

My brother sighed and made to move Sasuke's arm once more. I held my breath as Sasori lifted Sasuke's arm and I prayed silently that this would work. I watched quietly as Sasuke shifted, his eyebrows furrowing, and then I knew I was doomed when I saw his coal black eyes staring into my emerald green orbs.

"Uh, good morning!" I squeaked as I watched his black orbs moving back and forth, taking in the situation.

When he finally realized that his arm was wrapped around me tightly he quickly let go of me like he got burnt and I jumped, causing me to fall off of the couch.

"Ouch," I murmured, rubbing at my forehead.

"Sorry," Sasuke said, sitting up.

"No worries." I kept rubbing at my forehead before Sasuke grabbed my wrist, halting my movements.

"See ya later," Sasori called already half way out of the room. I glared as my brother left me to my doom – awkwardness.

"Stop rubbing it," Sasuke said while moving my hand away.

"Um, okay." He still held my hand as he inspected my forehead. I kept my eyes moving, looking everywhere except at the person in front of me.

Suddenly, I felt something warm touch my forehead and I shifted my eyes up, seeing Sasuke's chin right there. His lips remained on my forehead a couple more seconds before he pulled back and I avoided looking at him. I took a chance and glanced up from under my lashes and saw him looking down at me.

"Um, I'm gonna go find out when Ino is coming over," I said quickly, zooming out of the room speedily so he wouldn't see me blushing.

A sigh of satisfaction escaped my lips when I shut my room door behind me. I finally looked down and noticed that I was still in my costume from last night. I wrinkled my nose slightly when I felt the material plastered onto my skin.

I grabbed some clothes and headed over to my shower, happy when I peeled off the costume.

**XxXxXxX**

"She's in the shower," Sasori said to the raven haired teen as he walked back into the living room, a bottle of Gatorade in his hand.

"Aa," Sasuke said.

"You can go home and get ready for the welcome back party for my parents."

"Aa," the boy said again, picking up my bag.

"See ya later!" the red head called as Sasuke walked out the door.

"Hn."

"Now I have to make sure Tsunade gets her 'gift'," Sasori muttered before walking back into the kitchen.

**XxXxXxX**

"Tsunade-sama," Shizune said, knocking on the door.

"Come in," the voice on the other side said.

"I have a package for you," Shizune said, placing the heavy box on top of the wooden desk.

"Who's it from?" Tsunade questioned, eyeing the box.

"I don't know; but there is a card taped to the box," Shizune replied, taking the white envelope off from the top of the box and handing it to the blonde haired woman.

"Thank you," Tsunade said before motioning for the other woman to leave.

Slipping a finger under the flap, the blond easily opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of folded notebook paper.

_Dear Tsunade,_

_My dear cousin, I am positively sure that you already had Shizune take count of all the students who are missing today. And I also know that you must know that my friends and I are on that list._

_This is a little gift to say 'Sorry, we're skipping, but we are throwing my parents a party. And it's after Halloween.'_

_Don't kill us – me especially._

_P.S. – I got you seven bottles. Hinata – 5, Ino – 2, and Tenten – 3. Don't drink yourself silly!_

_Love, _

_Sakura_

Tsunade threw the note aside and peeled off the tape from the box which had the words FRAGILE written on the side.

"They probably suckered Sasori into buying all of this," the blond woman said smiling brightly. "I guess I could take the rest of the day off and go to this party as well. The vice principal could finally do something productive instead of writing those stupid little books of his."

With that said, Tsunade called Shizune into the room, informing her that she would be out for the rest of the day and possibly the following day.

**XxXxXxX**

**Sakura's POV**

"Where's Sasuke?" I asked when I entered the kitchen.

"He went home to get ready."

"Oh," I said. "Well, Imma go call Ino."

_Ring Ring Ri-_

"_Hello? Sexy blond fairy speaking!"_

"Hi Ino," I said.

"_Sakura babe, how's it going? Any kisses I need to know about?"_

"No. Hey, listen. When are you guys coming over to get this place fixed up? It's already after nine."

"_Cool it Forehead. We'll be there in fifteen."_

"See ya then."

"_Bye-bye,"_ she said before the line went dead.

"Hey, Sasori!" I called out.

"Yeah?" he replied, poking his head out of the kitchen.

"Watcha wearing later?" I questioned.

"Mmm, I don't know."

"Wanna match?" I asked already walking to the stairs.

"I don't know."

"You suck," I stated.

"Don't be jealous," he sang.

"Of what?"

"My awesomeness."

"You really shouldn't brag about being awesome when your seventeen year old sister could bring you down."

"In your dreams!" he exclaimed.

"I don't want you in my dreams!" I yelled back already in front of my door.

"But I know who you do want in them!" he screamed out before I shut the door.

His words rang in my head and I momentarily forgot all about figuring out what to wear, and instead pictured Sasuke. I shook my head and snapped out of it before walking over to my closet.

"What to wear? What to wear?" I muttered, scanning through my tops. I pulled out a green off-the-shoulder top and black jeans.

"Shoes, shoes, shoes," I mumbled. "I know I put you in here." I crouched down and started looking through my shoe boxes. "No, no, no," I said shoving the boxes aside and pulling out more. "There you are!" I exclaimed happily, setting the box aside. I shoved the other boxes back inside my closet and grabbed the shoe box next to me.

I pulled out ankle high, high-heeled boots from the red colored box and set them at the foot of my bed. Suddenly feeling hungry, I went downstairs for something to eat.

**XxXxXxX**

**Sasuke's POV**

The minute I walked through the door, my mother pounced on me with her mouth running a mile a minute.

"I called Shisui and he told me everything. Why didn't you call me?" she demanded to know.

"Mom, I called who I am supposed to call – the police."

"But you should have told me," she said.

"I told you that I would have explained it or that you could find out from Shisui. And you did find out."

"You could have let Sakura sleep here," she said to me.

"I slept over by her house in the living room," I explained.

She sighed before pulling me into an unexpected hug. "Next time just let me know," she said softly, her voice full of worry.

"Aa," I said as she let me go. "There's a welcome back party at Sakura's house for her parents," I mentioned before going up to my room.

**XxXxXxX**

"SAKURA LOVE, I'M HOOOOMMMMEEEE!" Ino exclaimed, popping into the living room.

"How'd you get in here?" I asked, my mouth full of waffles.

"Ewww, don't talk with your mouth full," she said. "And spare key, remember?" She held up a silver key.

"Oh, yeah," I said after I swallowed.

"Now, let's get this place decorated!" she shouted as her parents walked through the door with bags in both hands.

Three hours and twenty-three minutes. That's how long it took – three hours and twenty-three minutes – to decorate this place. I plopped down on the couch tiredly.

The living room was decorated with streamers, balloons, and a big banner. The dining room table was decorated with a party table cloth and the kitchen was filled with more balloons and glittery confetti lay scattered over the floors of the three rooms.

"I think we did good," Ino mentioned sitting on top of me.

"Uh huh, that's great. NOW GET OFF ME PIG!" I shoved her to the side.

"I'm hurt," she said placing a hand over her heart.

"Boohoo," I stated as I made my way to the backyard.

"Hand me that bag a coal, kiddo," Ino's dad said while pointed to a bag sitting close to the door.

"So what are we grilling today?" I asked as he took a mouthful of beer from the bottle in his hand.

"Chicken, steak, shrimp, corn, burgers, hot dogs, all those good stuff," he said to me.

"Sounds good," I said.

"And mom is making potato salad and baked macaroni," Ino piped up.

"Ooo, sounds really good," I said.

"Mmm," the blond hummed out while inspecting her nails.

**XxXxXxX**

"Hey, Sakura, go get ready. We leave in fifteen to go get mom and dad," Sasori said poking his head out the door.

Ino followed me up to my room and made herself comfortable on my bed while I started to get ready.

"Is that what you're gonna wear?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Why?"

"It's cute! Love the boots!"

"Thanks," I said before grabbing my make-up bag from the dresser.

I finished up and looked myself over in the mirror. "How do I look?" I asked, turning to face Ino.

"Sexy," she commented.

"Thanks," I said grabbing my cell phone.

"So is everything going to be ready by the time we get back?" I asked worriedly.

"No worries Forehead," Ino said pushing me forward. "The airport is like half an hour away and you're gonna have to wait for them to walk through the gate and collect their luggage and then you have another half an hour drive till you reach back here. Everything is gonna be fine," she reassured.

"Okay," I said unsurely.

**XxXxXxX**

"It's been over a month since we last saw them," I mumbled.

"I know," Sasori said. "But at least now that they are back, they're gonna be staying for a while."

"Hopefully," I frankly said. "Who knows when they have to fly out again."

"It's just what they do," he said.

I sighed in defeat and slumped my shoulders. There was no sense in complaining about something I couldn't change. It wasn't my fault that they work for a big business company that makes them fly out at any time.

"Hey, look," Sasori said pulling me out of my thoughts. I watched as people started walking through the gate.

"There they are!" he exclaimed.

"Sakura! Sasori!" my mother shouted, enveloping us in hugs. "My babies," she sniffed.

"Mom," Sasori said as she released us.

"Kiddos," my dad greeted pulling me and my brother in for a hug.

"Dad, I just fixed my hair," I complained when he ruffled my pink locks.

"You look beautiful as always cupcake," he said.

We retrieved their bags and carried them to the car.

"So how has everything been?" my father asked from the front seat.

"Fine," I piped up. My mother sat beside me in the rear of the car.

"Anything we should know about?" she questioned slyly.

My mind immediately reeled back to last night and I gulped. "Uh," I began.

"Not a thing," my brother said cheerfully. He shot me a look through the mirror saying that we were not going to let our parents know about last night.

The rest of the way home, we listened to our mom talk about the business trip and all the exquisite food she had the chance of tasting. "Oh, and Sakura," she called as she took out her things from the trunk. "I bought you some new clothes."

I noticed that our driveway and the street were clear of any cars. Hmmm…wonder where everyone's car is hiding. I carried three suitcases up to the door and waited for everyone else to catch up to me.

I handed my mother the key when she reached me and took hold of the three suitcases once again. I listen for the small click, indicating that the door was now unlocked. She turned the knob and entered into the room, my father close behind.

"WELCOME BACK!" Ino shouted, jumping out from behind the couch. One by one, everyone began emerging from their hiding spots.

"What is all of this?" my mother questioned, turning to face us. I gave her a bright smile and turned her back around.

"This," I gestured with my hand, "is your welcome back party."

**XxXxXxX**

I laughed as Ino and I danced around the living room. So far from what I could tell, everyone was having a great time. Giggles burst through my lips when she attempted to dip me.

"It's time for a professional to take over this dance," Tenten said, bumping Ino out of the way. I laughed again as Tenten spun me.

"I'm hungry," Ino's voice floated over to us.

"Pig," I said as I watched her dancing around with Hinata.

"Forehead," she retorted.

"That barbeque chicken smells really good," Tenten admitted as we stopped.

I nodded my head in agreement before all of us went to the backyard.

"Hi daddy," Ino piped up from behind her father. "What are you cooking?" she asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Steak," he said.

"I want food," she said waving her plate around.

Ino's dad steered her to a table a few feet away and pointed to all the food. "Thank you," Ino said before piling her plate with food.

"Hey, you girls want one?" Inoichi asked, holding up a bottle of beer.

"We're not old enough, remember?" I said.

"Psh," he rolled his eyes. I filled my plate with food and retreated to the inside of the house to eat in peace, somewhat.

"Move over," I said to Naruto who was already eating.

He moved slightly and smiled at me. "Sorry, no space."

"You barely moved!" He stuck his tongue out at me and I kicked him in the shin lightly. I walked over to where Sasuke was and took a seat next to him.

"Hi," I said happily as he swallowed some baked macaroni.

"Hey," he said.

I ate silently and glanced around the living room. Kiba and Ino were talking, Naruto chatted animatedly to Hinata, Tenten was quietly eating her food, often glancing at Neji from the corner of her eye, and my brother and his friends were all over the place.

Deidara dashed into the living room, jumping over the couch. "Where is he?" my brother asked, rushing into the room.

"You'll never catch me!" Deidara shouted dashing out the front door.

"Idiot," Ino said, shaking her head.

"So this is where the party is," a voice boomed from the front door. We all looked over and saw Tsunade standing there with her hands on her hips. I gulped.

"Hi," I said.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble," she said, waving me off as she headed straight to the backyard where all the other adults were. Guess she got the sake.

I finished up my food and took Sasuke's empty plate with me to the kitchen. After disposing of the trash, I grabbed a drink from the cooler and leaned against the counter, looking through the open backdoor at my parents.

I small smile made its way onto my face. I gulped down the rest of my soda and passed Hinata carrying four empty plates.

"SAKURA!" Naruto exclaimed, popping into my view.

"Yes?" I questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"Let's dance," he said pulling me to the big open space in the living room.

"Tenten, play something good," I said winking. She smiled mischievously and went over to the where the music was. A few seconds passed by before a fast paced beat blasted through the speakers.

"What is this? Spanish?" Naruto asked.

"Hell yeah!" I exclaimed, the music begging me to dance.

"Uh, ok," he said before trying to dance salsa with me. I laughed as he tripped over his feet.

"Move it whisker face," Tenten said interrupting.

She grabbed my hands and we both started dancing, flashing mischievous smiles at Ino and Hinata. The two came to join us on the dance floor and we picked up the pace, moving our hips with every move.

"Hinata," I pointed at Naruto. She giggled and went over to the boy, leading him onto the dance floor.

"Sasuke's staring at you," Tenten said.

"Neji's staring at you," I said back as we turned so that she was now facing Neji and I was facing Sasuke.

I watched as Sasuke suddenly walked over to us, tapping Tenten on the shoulder. Tenten nodded in understanding and let my hands go, retreating to sit on the couch right beside Neji.

The song changed and soon enough Danza Kuduro by Don Omar blasted through the speakers. I felt nervous as Sasuke took my hands, pulling me closer to him. I gulped and looked over at Tenten who smiled deviously at me and gave me a wink.

Sasuke set the pace and we both began moving to the music. A couple seconds into the dance, I began to relax and I moved comfortably.

"I didn't know you could dance," I said.

"Hn, same here," he said, his breath tickling my ear.

I held back a shudder as he led me across the floor. The song changed and he let go of my hands when Ino bounced over, saying that it was her turn.

I saw Sasuke watching me as Ino and I danced to an addictive song. Tenten and even Hinata joined in, laughing as we all sang to Shake Senora by Pitbull.

Hours quickly passed by, and everyone was already leaving.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I said to Sasuke as we both stood on the porch.

"Aa."

"Bye," I said, expecting him to say the same, turn around, and leave.

Except, he didn't. Instead, he stepped closer to me until our bodies were mere inches apart. I felt his breath fanning my face and I looked into his eyes, getting lost.

He placed a kiss on my cheek and whispered a soft 'bye' before walking over to his car. I stood there, my eyes following his car until it disappeared. It was then that I heard my mom squealing in happiness from the window inside.

"Great," I muttered, knowing that she would pounce on me once I stepped through the door.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it! Review? Please?**

**On another note, the legal drinking and smoking age where I live is 18 (which I am, but I don't do those things). Oh, my updates my take a little longer seeing as I am going to start attending college on the 20****th**** of August, but no worries I'll update. **


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I loved it! So here's another chapter, hope you guys like it!**

* * *

**Sasuke's POV**

_Ring…Ring…Ri-_

"Hello?" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes while checking my clock.

"_Sasuke, we found something," _Shisui's voice said.

"I'll be right there," I said now wide awake.

**XxXxXxX**

"The Escalade looks like it came from here," Shisui said pointing to the computer screen.

"But that looks like a company parking lot filled with business vehicles," I said.

"All of which are Escalades," my cousin pointed out.

"Did you track the license plate's number to here?" I questioned now sitting back in my seat.

"We had two men go through the plates on each vehicle in the entire lot, but none of them matched the letters and numbers we wrote down."

"So there is a possibility that the vehicle didn't come from here," I stated, eyes still focused on the screen.

"There is also a possibility that it did," Shisui said before taking a sip of his coffee.

"What company is that anyway?" I asked trying to make out the name of the building from the picture.

"Kensei Ko. It's a company similar to our family's own."

"Never heard of it before," I mentioned.

"It started about three years ago and is steadily building its way up," Shisui explained.

"Hn."

"Don't worry man," Shisui rested a hand on my shoulder, "we'll find whoever this person is. Right now we dispatched some men to check out all the Escalades in town."

I wordlessly got up from my seat and made my way over to the door. I paused in the doorway when Shisui's voice floated over to me.

"I'll call you if anything else comes up."

Instead of walking out the door, I walked back over to my cousin. "I need you to do a background check on someone."

"Who?" my cousin questioned.

I gave him the name of the cashier from the grocery store that me and Sakura always go to before walking out of the room.

**XxXxXxX**

**Sakura's POV**

"Sakura, wake up." I growled as someone shook me awake.

"It's Saturday," I mumbled, turning away from the voice so I could go back to sleep. This past week was tiring and the amount of homework drove me up the wall in frustration. The teachers were driving us insane with work, trying to make us finish certain chapters before the holidays.

"Sakura," the voice said again, pulling my blanket away from me.

"C'mon, just let me sleep in," I fumbled out turning to glare at the person.

"Saku-chan, it's ten in the morning," my mother said, hands on her hips.

"And it's the weekend," I explained.

"Time to get up," she said.

"Why?" I whined.

"Don't be such a baby. Besides, I wanted to show you all the clothes I bought you."

"So you woke me up on the weekend to show me clothes?" I asked incredulously. Don't get me wrong, I love my clothes, but there are certain times when I just don't care, for example, now.

"Oh just hurry up," my mother said before walking out of the room. Grumbling, I made my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

**XxXxXxX**

"Ok, I'm here," I said walking into my parent's bedroom. All I saw was four suitcases laying in the room in random spots on the floor, the top of them spilling over with clothes, and my mother no where in sight.

"In here, sweetie," she called, a hand sticking out of the closet, waving at me. I walked over to her.

"Look what I got you," she said, holding up a kimono. "It's the one I told you about on the phone."

"It's gorgeous." I took the kimono and let my fingers glide over the soft fabric.

"And I got you these," my mother said, holding up four over filled plastic bags. "I know you will love them," she added.

"Thanks," I said, taking the bags from her. "So what did you buy for Sasori?" I asked.

"Some small puppet people. I swear, I have no idea where that boy got his fascination of puppets from," she absentmindedly said."Now enough about that, tell me about you and Sasuke." She walked over to her bed and motioned for me to join her.

"Mom."

"What? Can't I ask a simple question? There's no crime in asking something," she innocently blinked at me.

"There can be."

"I saw you guys dancing on Monday. Tell me you didn't enjoy that. In fact, you're lucky that I only now confronted you about it."

In truth, I was slightly surprised that she now mentioned something about Sasuke and me dancing if she saw us a few days ago. As for the dancing, I couldn't say that I didn't enjoy it, because I did. I loved being right there in his arms even though inside I was sweating buckets of nervousness. And even though the music calmed me, having Sasuke holding me so close made my pulse run rapidly.

"Well?" my mother asked when I didn't answer. I avoided her gaze, choosing to stare at the drama show that was playing on the television in the room. "I knew it!" she exclaimed bouncing up and down on the bed. It was times like these that made her seem like she was my age.

"You guys have been tip toe-ing around each other for years now! Why don't you just jump him?"

"Say wah?" I spluttered out.

"Jump him! You know like tackle him? It's quite simple really. When he isn't paying attention and walking merrily along his way just jump him."

"One: Sasuke doesn't walk merrily along his way, and two: that's not the point! If you were in my position would you jump him?" I stared at her now.

She put a finger to her chin. "Well, in my case, your dad and Sasuke would switch positions."

"Fine. But would you jump daddy?" I imagined my mom tackling my dad to the floor; the idea seemed hilarious to me. It's like me tackling Sasori, which in this case, would be sad considering I am a bit shorter and way lighter than my brother.

"Hm…possibly," she finally answered.

"That's not the answer I was looking for." I crossed my arms in front of my chest now. "Now answer the question properly."

"Ok, fine, I would jump him, but that would be when I couldn't take it any more."

"Take what anymore?" I asked.

"Well, if I was in your position – like you said – I might eventually get tired of dancing around each other, and just jump him," she explained.

"So you think that I will eventually jump him?"

"Who knows, but this is why I am telling you, so that you can." She patted me on the knee, nodding in approval at the advice she had given me.

"So you want me to jump him?" I questioned.

"Sure," she said.

"I never thought that my mother would be telling me to jump a boy," I muttered. I need some food; really, I think that it is a really good time to get some food.

"Correction sweetie, Sasuke. I don't want you jumping just any boy."

"Glad to know," I said. "Well, bye." I grabbed all the bags she had given me and walked towards the door.

"Wait," she said, making me stop. "Don't forget in a few weeks we're going to be going to your grandparents."

"Ok," I said, leaving the room.

**XxXxXxX**

**Sasuke's POV**

"_Dude, you are such a pansy. You could have made your move on Sakura."_

"Hn, shut up Dobe," I spoke into my cell.

"_It's easy! Look at me and Hinata!"_

"Dobe, Sakura helped you two get together," I pointed out to my blond idiot of a best friend.

"_Well, let me help you Teme! I'm your wing-man dude. Have like a candle light dinner and give her flowers."_

"Dobe, I'm not asking her to marry me…yet," I said mumbling the last part to myself. Unfortunately, the idiot overheard me saying it.

"_Well, do something special and romantic and such."_

"Shut up," I said. "I have to go."

"_What are you by her house or something?"_

"Hn."

"_You are, aren't you? Now just have a romantic picnic in the park-"_

"Goodbye."

"_No wait! You're eating a mint right?"_

"What kind of idiotic question is that?"

"_Well, don't you want your breath to be minty fresh when you kiss her?"_

"Dobe," I growled.

"_Touchy."_

"I'm not even in her house."

"_LE GASP! TEME, ARE YOU PEEPING AT HER THROUGH HER WINDOW? I MEAN I APPROVE OF YOU TWO BEING TOGETHER AND ALL, BUT PEEPING AT MY GOD-SISTER? YOU TEME!"_

"Idiot, I am in my car," I stated.

"_Oh, well, that's ok then,"_ the idiot said reasonably.

"Whatever," I said before hanging up, not wanting to hear any more of his idiotic thoughts. I locked my car and walked up to the front door. I knocked on the door a couple of times and stepped back, waiting for someone to open the door.

"Coming!" Sakura's muffled voice came from the other side. I heard the click of the door, indicating that it was unlocked and I watched as it swung open, revealing Sakura.

"Oh! Hi!" she said when she saw me. "I didn't know that you were coming over."

"Because I didn't tell you," I stated.

"True," she said nodding her head in agreement. I looked her up and down. She was wearing a black tank top and white basketball shorts.

"Um, come in," she said, moving aside to let me enter.

"Sakura, honey, who was at the door?" her mother's voice floated down to us from the stairs. "Oh, Sasuke, hello."

"Hello, Haruno-san," I greeted back.

"There's no need to be so formal with me," Sakura's mom said.

"So what brings you here?" Sakura asked.

I remembered one of main reasons I was here:

_*Flashback*_

"_Sasu-cakes, is that you?" my mother asked as I walked through the front door._

"_Aa," I said as I walked to the kitchen._

"_Where did you go mister? Were you at Sakura's?"_

"_I went to the station." She paused in her cooking and looked over at me now. _

"_Did they find something?" she questioned seriously._

"_A possibility of where the vehicle came from, but it's not confirmed as yet if the vehicle did come from there."_

"_Oh," my mother said before chopping up some onions. "Why don't you invite the Haruno's over for dinner?"_

"…"

"_Oh, shoo. Go! Besides, I know you want Sakura here." My mother started pushing me back towards the front door. "Don't come back until you invite them over. Oh, wait, better yet, don't invite them over."_

"_Hn?"_

"_I'm saying that if you don't invite them then you get to stay by them until you do."_

"_You do realize that I could just go over to Naruto's right?"_

"_Just go and invite Sakura!" And with that she pushed me out of the front door._

Now…

"Would you guys like to come over for dinner?" I faced Sakura's mother waiting for her answer.

"Sure," she said happily. "Now if you excuse me, I have some laundry to do."

**Sakura's POV**

I saw that sparkle in my mother's eye when she agreed to dinner, and I knew from that moment on I would be doomed. I mean the woman practically told me to tackle Sasuke!

"So…" I trailed off. I looked over at Sasuke. His hair was ruffled slightly and he was wearing a white vest and navy blue basketball shorts.

"Can we talk in private?" he asked seriously.

"Uh, yeah," I said, leading him up to my room. "So what's up?" I asked when the door shut behind us.

"Shisui called me this morning," he started.

"What did he say?" I settled onto my bed and waited for an answer.

"It's a possibility that we know where the Escalade came from," he stated.

"A possibility?" I questioned my eyebrows furrowing, my mouth twisted slightly.

"They found a company parking lot filled with business vehicles; all of which are Escalades, but after checking all the vehicles in the entire lot, they came up with nothing. Shisui said that they are going to check the Escalades around town and see if any of them matched the license plate numbers and letters."

"Hmmm…" Seriously, what else is there to say? It's been like what a week since this incident happened? I mean, that Escalade could have followed anyone home, right? Not just me? And on Halloween night stuff like that is common so I shouldn't worry. Maybe it was a one time kind of thing.

Sasuke came over and sat next to me. I ran a hand through my hair and flopped back onto the mattress. I felt the mattress next to me sink and I looked over at him.

"Don't worry," he reassured.

"It's hard to not think about it," I admitted, turning my eyes upwards to look at the ceiling.

A growling broke the silence in the room and I looked over at Sasuke once more to see his hand resting on his stomach.

"Missed breakfast," he explained.

My mouth formed an 'o' shape and I pulled him off the bed and downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat. While he ate, I looked out the window in the kitchen, not really staring at anything. Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I turned back to Sasuke.

"So dinner?"

"Aa."

"One word answers I see."

"Aa," he replied.

"So I was thinking that I might dye my hair orange with green streaks," I said, trying to see if he would break out of saying his one word answers.

"What?" he asked staring at me like I had gone looney.

"Gotcha," I said giggling. He rolled his eyes at me and finished up his cup of coffee that I had made.

**XxXxXxX**

"Be at my house for seven," he said before walking out the front door.

"Um ok," I said before closing the door. Now to get some clothes.

**XxXxXxX**

"Sakura! Come in! Come in! My look at you! You look so pretty!" Mikoto exclaimed, ushering me and my family into the living room.

"Thank you," I replied bashfully. I didn't think that what I was wearing was over the top; it was just white pants with a red halter top.

"So how have you been?" Mikoto asked, turning towards my mother.

"Busy as usual. What about you?" my mother questioned.

"Enjoying the vacation, but I can't get to go to the beach like I wanted," Mikoto complained.

"Why ever not?" my mother asked.

"Because the boys in this house are just so complicated." I laughed at her choice of words.

"Well, maybe we can all go together," my mother suggested.

"As soon as the coldness from the holidays disappear, then sure," Mikoto replied.

"Fugaku," my father greeted as said man walked into the room.

"Long time no see," Fugaku greeted. "Busy?"

"Overworked," my father replied. "Danzou can be such a pain."

"I'm glad that I don't work in the same department as him," Fugaku chuckled out.

I sat there tapping my foot in boredom as the adults talked. Gah! I looked over at my brother who was fiddling with one of the puppets my mom brought back. He was probably trying to fix it to his liking.

I leaned back into the couch, a pout present on my face. I sat there for twenty minutes, staring at nothing in particular. When I heard footsteps approaching, I looked up and Sasuke was standing there at the entrance to the room.

"What took you so long?" I almost hissed out as he sat next to me.

"Itachi took forever in the shower," was his reply.

I rolled my eyes and turned my head away from him. I caught my mother's eyes and that twinkle was back again. Aw shit!

"Well dinner time!" Mikoto announced happily when Itachi entered the room.

**XxXxXxX**

"Dinner was nice," I said as me and Sasuke stood out on the porch.

"Hn, speak for yourself," he muttered.

"It was! What happened after though was hilarious," I said, attempting to hide my smile by pressing my lips together.

"Hn."

"Aw, come on! Baby Sasuke was so cute!" I exclaimed, pinching his cheeks daringly.

He swatted my hand away and rubbed his cheek. "Hn." It may be my imagination, but I think I see a bit of pink on his cheeks.

"You biting a teddy bear was adorable," I gushed.

"Hn…"

I laughed at him.

"Whatever," he finally said.

The smile on my face never stopped growing. I finally looked away from him and up at the night sky, observing all the stars. I tried to pick out the constellations that I knew. We made small talk here and there and before I knew it, it was time to leave.

"Bye," I said as I walked towards the car. He waved at me and I smiled in return.

* * *

**So? Review? *smiles* I do hope that you liked it. There will be more to come, especially with the Escalade. So stay tuned!**

**Anyways, I have to admit that my other fics that I made before this one are so cringe worthy, but I don't have the heart to delete them. **

**Well, till next time! **


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Thank you reviewers! I love you guys! **

* * *

Tomorrow is the last day of school before the holidays! Gah! SO FREAKING AWESOME! Finally, a break from everything! I settled down in my bed and waited for sleep, excited for tomorrow.

**XxXxXxX**

"Morning,"I said cheerily to the girls.

"I see that you are happy," Ino pointed out.

"Well, of course!" I exclaimed obviously. "Today's our last day before we get out for Christmas!" I hummed a tune and slung an arm around Tenten's shoulder, causing the bun haired girl to laugh. She poked me in the cheek before joining along to hum the familiar tune.

"So what are you doing for the holidays?" Hinata asked as we all walked to our first class. "I'm going to be attending some kind of family gathering."

"I'm staying at home," Tenten answered.

"My mom said something about my aunt coming over from Suna," Ino replied. "And what about you, Forehead?" The blonde turned to look at me just as Naruto approached our little group.

"Me? I'm going to be out of town in a place that has no cell reception."

"Out of town?" Naruto asked just as Sasuke walked over.

"Yeah, by my grandparents who live on the outskirts of Konoha," I replied.

"No cell reception?" Ino asked incredulously. "How can you survive?"

"Ino, I can do other stuff you know," I explained. Going over by my grandparents is fun, although sometimes it may suck having no reception, but I get to avoid two blondes so I guess that's a good thing. A little vacation free of loudmouth blondes; the awaiting peace already feels so good.

"Like what?" Ino asked.

"They do have a television Ino. I could watch TV."

"But how am I supposed to talk to you?"

"There's something called a computer," I explained. "And a webcam."

"But it wouldn't be the same Forehead! I wouldn't be able to hear your voice!" the blonde complained before sniffling to show her point. I rolled my eyes at her and her drama.

"If we use a webcam, I can see you and you can see me and I could hear you and you can hear me," I explained.

"It's not that bad Ino," Tenten said. "In two weeks time we'll all be back." The bun haired girl patted Ino on the back while rolling her eyes, causing a smile to emerge on my face.

"So what about you guys," I said facing Naruto and Sasuke. "What are you guys gonna be doing?"

"Staying home and sulking," Naruto pouted.

"Why?" I questioned.

"Because Teme here says that his family was invited to go spend the holidays somewhere out of town."

"What does that have to do with your Christmas?" Ino asked now to back to normal.

"I have no one to play Black Ops with!" Naruto wailed.

"Aw boohoo," I stated.

"Seriously dude, do you have like a man crush on Sasuke?" Ino asked.

"EWWWW! HELL TO THE NO!" Naruto started gagging.

"I was just asking," Ino explained shrugging.

"I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND FOR RAMEN'S SAKE! WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU THINK THAT OF ALL THINGS?" Naruto shouted.

"Well, you're like always by Sasuke," Ino explained.

"Because we are best friends, bros, dudes, chums!"

"Ok," Ino said.

"Just like how you are the Ino to Sakura, I am the Naruto to Sasuke!" Naruto proudly said. "You are the cheese to Sakura's pizza, and I am the noodles to Sasuke's ramen."

"What?" Tenten asked.

"Don't ask," I muttered as Sasuke muttered 'dumbass' under his breath.

"Hinata, your boyfriend is definitely one of a kind," Tenten said to the shy girl. Hinata giggled and continued watching as Naruto explained the awesome bro-ness between him and Sasuke. I laughed when Sasuke's left eyebrow started twitching.

**XxXxXxX**

"Gah! Forehead! Imma miss you!" Ino wailed hugging me, her arms wrapping around me just a little below my waist.

"I'll miss you too Ino," I said while patting the girl on the back, wishing that she would release me.

"So what are we? Chopped liver?" Tenten asked, hands on her hips.

"It's not that," Ino sniffed, "it's just that Forehead is gonna be out of town!"

"It's ok, Ino," I reassured, trying to pry the girl off of me. Tenten grabbed Ino around the waist and pulled while I pushed.

"Come on, let go," Tenten huffed, pulling harder. Hinata joined in, and began loosening Ino's arms, but the blond was persistent, wrapping her legs around mine.

"Aw dammit! Really Ino? It's only two weeks!" I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

I looked around the parking lot, watching as teens rushed out of the gates, eager to begin their break. And I would be eager too but my blond friend just had to latch herself onto me in the parking lot, preventing me from leaving.

"Dammit! Where are the guys when you need them?" Tenten asked no one in particular, yanking Ino by the waist. Still she didn't budge.

"HEY HEY HEY!" a loud voice boomed. I looked over and saw Naruto bouncing over to us, the guys taking their good old time behind him. "Um," Naruto hummed out looking at all of us while scratching his head.

"Don't just stand there you idiot! Help us!" I shouted, my arms flying around, pointing to the blond attached to my middle.

"Oh," Naruto said. "But um how should I help?" he asked.

"Well here's a thought...GET HER OFF!" Tenten yelled, pulling again.

"Kiba! Get your girlfriend off of me!" I once again pointed to the blond. Kiba took Tenten's spot, causing the brunette to move to Ino's legs.

"Baby let go," Kiba said pulling Ino while Tenten and Naruto worked on trying to unhook her legs from mine. Hinata tried prying her arms off of me.

"What the hell?" I asked in frustration. "Four people and yet none of you can get her unhooked from me."

"Shopping is useful," Ino piped up. "Builds up my strength."

"Strength my ass!" I hissed out, getting irritated. This girl has been latched onto me for a good twenty minutes.

I looked over at Sasuke who was amused, but understanding. After five more minutes of failure, the raven haired teen walked over to us, intending to help. He motioned for those that were behind me to move.

"On my count all of you pull Ino," he directed, his arms wrapping around me. "3, 2, 1, pull," Sasuke directed pulling me back strongly into his chest as the others yanked Ino away roughly. Under Sasuke's instructions, we finally got Ino unhooked from me.

"Yes!" I exclaimed happily.

Ino's face immediately changed from pouting to smiling, but not just any kind of smile graced her face. Oh no, this smile was big, fat, bright, and mischievous. She looked knowingly at me and I was suddenly aware of the muscular chest pressed into my back and the strong arm that was wrapped tightly around my waist. I restrained from shivering, but I could do nothing to stop the goose-bumps that broke out on my skin.

Tenten also caught on and winked, suggestively wiggling her eyebrows. Even Hinata giggled at me! I glared at all of them, my cheeks burning in embarrassment. I suddenly felt Sasuke's breath against my ear and I tensed slightly, gulping silently.

"Do you need a ride home?" he asked, his warm breath fanning my skin causing me to close my eyes momentarily.

"Um, yeah," I managed to say. I looked back to the girls, all of them looking at me with a gleam in their eyes. Sasuke retracted his arm from around me, but didn't step away.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys when I get back," I said, giving each one of them a hug – except Ino, she had gotten her hug already.

**XxXxXxX**

"So where are you going?" I asked Sasuke curiously.

"My parents got invited to my grandparent's friend's house," he explained.

"Sounds fun," I said.

"Hn," he replied.

I rolled my eyes at his answer. "I'm so happy I did my Christmas shopping last week," I mentioned.

"Aa," he said.

"Don't you ever get tired of saying that?"

"Hn."

"Is that a no?"

"Hn," he smirked at me.

"Meanie! I should wait until after Christmas to give you your present! Now that I think about it," I trailed off, "I should! And I will! How ya feeling now?"

"It's just a present."

"Gasp! It's a present from me! That means its special you bighead!"

He chuckled at me and I poked him on his side roughly causing him to jump slightly. I smiled in satisfaction.

"So see ya," I said, waving before walking to the door. He pulled off just as the front door shut and I immediately went to my room to take a shower and pack. By the time I was finished, it was after eight and I walked downstairs to get something to eat for dinner.

"Sakura!" my mom greeted when I entered the kitchen. "How was school?"

"Same old, same old, except today Ino decided she wanted to literally stick to me like glue."

My mother laughed at that and handed me a plate of food. I took a seat on the stool at the counter and watched as she danced around the kitchen, washing dishes and packing the dry ones away.

"Did you pack already?"

"Yes," I replied, carrying my dirty dish to the sink to wash.

"Did you pack a dress?" my mother asked as I washed off all the grease from the plate.

"Yeah," I said.

"Good. Your grandparents said something about having guests over the day after tomorrow."

"Guests? Are they as old as grandpa?" I asked, imagining myself sitting in a room with elderly people. Gah, the boredom I would feel.

"Two of them are," my mother answered.

"Two? How many of them are coming?" I asked now drying my hands.

"Like six."

"Oh joy," I said sarcastically.

"It may be fun," my mother smiled at me.

"Fun? You're kidding me right?" I stared at her. It'll be as fun as Squidward manning the cash register at the Krusty Krab.

"Just go to sleep," she said, ushering me out of the room. "Tomorrow we leave early."

**XxXxXxX**

_Beeep...Beeep…Beeep_

Dammit, shut up! My hand shot out to stop the noise coming from my small alarm clock. I buried my face into the pillow and covered my head with my blanket.

"Sakuraaaaaaaaaa!" my mother sang, bouncing into my room. "Wake up sweety!" She yanked the covers away from me and I curled up into a ball.

"Five more minutes," I growled, shoving my face deeper into the pillow.

"Nope," she said, snatching my pillow away. I growled again as my head hit the mattress. I glared at the tiny clock with the blinking red numbers. 7:45 am.

…damn.

**XxXxXxX**

After grumpily eating my breakfast – a salami and cheese sandwich – I dragged myself and my suitcase to my dad's truck that was waiting for us. I shoved the suitcase in and climbed into the back behind the driver's seat, feeling a bit squished.

"Cheer up sweety," my mom said.

"Oh this is all the cheering up I can get for now," I muttered as Sasori climbed in next to me.

**XxXxXxX**

Five hours. So far, I have been stuck in this truck for five hours, and we only stopped once and that was by a gas station. Do you know what it's like sitting for five hours with my mom and Sasori? With them singing endless random songs? They even made up their own songs, which sucked, badly! I mean even the radio played crappy songs! And my iPod – my dear friend – died three hours and twenty minutes into the ride.

Yes, I counted the time that my little friend lived. Sniff, don't worry buddy! I'll fix you right up when we reach to granny's place!

"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer…"

Gosh, dammit! I let my head fall onto the head rest in front of me, which happened to be where my dad was currently resting his head.

How the hell did he put up with this? I peered around the head rest to see him wearing earplugs. That sneaky little bastard! Why couldn't he share! I thought he was supposed to love me?

Feeling that he needed to at least listen to what I was putting up with for five hours – now going on six – I yanked the earplugs from his ears and threw it beside me.

"You should have shared daddy dearest," I muttered, leaning back in my seat now. I grinned in satisfaction when I saw him wince through the mirror. That's right sucker! Listen to Sasori's off key voice!

"The best time to wear a stripped sweater…" Oh gosh, Sasori's singing a Spongebob song. Get me out of here! By the way, I have no problem with Spongebob, but listening to my brother massacring the song is making my ears bleed invisibly.

"Daddy how much longer?" I all but whined.

"Just a little longer pumpkin," he said.

"How long is a little longer?" This time I did whine.

"Maybe another hour…" he trailed off.

I don't know if I could last that long. Why did you have to die iPod, why! Oh wait, I took the earplugs! Hahaha, take that bitches!

**XxXxXxX**

"We're here!" my dad announced as I scrambled out of the truck. Yes, away from those, those people and their songs.

I grabbed my suitcase once my dad took it out of the truck and rushed to the front door, banging repeatedly. It opened and my grandma stood there.

"Grandma!" I exclaimed, hugging the woman.

"Sakura!" she replied back equally.

"You look good!" I said, walking inside. And really she did for her age. Well, I mean she's not that old, maybe like fifty-two, but that's beside the point. I think it runs in the genes man; just look at Tsunade – she's hitting like thirty, but she looks like she's twenty.

"You look so lovely," she commented as the rest of my family piled into the house.

"Sasori!" My grandma enveloped him in a big hug before taking away his puppet to inspect the toy.

"Can I please have that back?" he begged. Seeing that it was just an ordinary puppet – for now – she handed it back to him before greeting my parents.

"It must have been a long drive," granny said.

"You have no idea," I mumbled. "Where's grandpa?" I asked.

"Watching tv."

I bounced into the living room and saw grand-papi watching a baseball game. "Hello," I sang giving him a big hug.

"Sakura!" he greeted initiating the handshake we made up when I was younger. I laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Go wash up and I'll have dinner prepared," grandma said, walking into the room.

I looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was a few minutes past six. Retrieving my suitcase, I headed up to my room – yes, I had my own room; these people were like rich. I unpacked and took a shower. Feeling all clean and fresh, I went downstairs for dinner.

"I am so hungry," I stated as I walked into the kitchen, and I had every right to be. All I ate for the day was a sandwich, and a bag of chips, a pack of cookies, and a Gatorade – all of which I bought from the gas station.

After dinner my grandma told us the plan for tomorrow. Apparently, her friends were supposed to be here by noon and then from there we would have a nice lunch in the backyard before letting the guests relax from their long trip. And on the next day, we are all supposed to go into town that was thirty minutes away.

"So get a good night's sleep," my grandma finished. I climbed back up to my room and switched on the tv, hoping to at least watch something before I fell asleep.

* * *

**Next chapter you get to meet the guests! I know who they are, but you don't! But then some of you might know…lol, we'll just have to see won't we? Hahaha! Hope you guys liked this chapter! Reviews make me happy! :D **


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Gah! I'm almost to 300 reviews! So happy am I! Thank you guys for reviewing, you make my day! Here's another chapter that I hope you all will like. As for the guests, most of you got it right, but then again, it wasn't that hard to figure it out. Anyhoo, Imma not keep you from reading, so onto the story my lovelies.**

* * *

_Knock, Knock, Knock_

"Sakura! Can you get that!" my mother hollered from the backyard.

Gosh, dammit. Really? The time I actually started cooking! My hands are covered in Alfredo sauce for crying out loud! And the pasta is on the stove!

Now you may be wondering why the hell I have pasta sauce on my hands. Well, I was making homemade pasta sauce and you know with all the ingredients and such and the mixing and the tasting there's bound to be sauce on my hands. Especially from when the spoon splattered – thankfully barely warm – sauce on my face and I used my hands to wipe it off instead of a napkin.

And where the hell are the men in this house. I know that they have two hands that are capable of opening the door unless they are cripple which I know they are not. But hey, I can make arrangements for that. I could be the crippler and they could be the cripplies.

"Yeah, I'll get it!" I shouted, wiping my hands quickly with a damp washrag. I straightened out my hair as best I could and walked to the front door. Taking a deep breath, I pulled opened the door with a smile on my face.

I was not prepared for who stood in front of me.

"Uchiha-san?" I questioned.

"Sakura, dear, I told you to stop with all this formal nonsense," Mikoto said before enveloping me in a hug.

"Ok," I said still slightly surprised while returning the embrace.

"Didn't your parents tell you that we were spending the holidays with your family?" she questioned.

"Noooo," I said moving aside to let them in. I watched as two older people trailed in right behind Mikoto.

"Oh! Where are my manners! Sakura this is my mother, Kiyoko, and my father, Jin."

"Hello," I said politely, shaking their hands.

"Mother, father, this is Sakura!" The way how she said that sentence made me raise my eyebrows questioningly.

"Is this her?" I heard Mikoto's mother ask. Mikoto nodded and smiled brightly at me.

I turned away from the two women who were conversing about me in hushed voices. "Hi," I said greeting Sasuke.

"Hey," he murmured loud enough that only I could hear. Itachi nodded at me and Fugaku gave me half a nod.

"Did you know about this?" I asked lowly.

"Aa," Sasuke answered.

"And you didn't tell me?!" I whispered furiously, jabbing my finger into his side lightly. He could have at least warn me.

"Hn."

"Kiyoko, Jin!" my grandmother greeted, walking into the living room.

"Chiaki!" Kiyoko exclaimed hugging my grandmother. "How have you been? Where's Eiji?"

"I've been good," my grandmother said. "And he's out back with my son-in-law and grandson. They're trying to set up some kind of heating device so we won't feel the cold."

I smell pasta. Aw shit! The noodles.

"Would you please excuse me?" I asked before dashing into the kitchen.

Phew, it's good. Luckily, I turned the sauce off way before putting the noodles to boil. I started back the fire so I could finish up the sauce.

**XxXxXxX**

"Sasuke, go," Mikoto said, shooing her son off in the direction Sakura went.

"Hn."

"Don't give me that look mister. Go by Sakura," and with that she pushed him in the direction of the kitchen while starting a conversation with her mother.

"So that's Sakura? I…like her," Kiyoko said, a smile adorning her face.

"Sasuke is nuts about her, but don't let him know I said that." Mikoto laughed and followed after her mother as all of them moved to the backyard.

**XxXxXxX**

"What are you doing?" I looked up from draining the pasta water to see Sasuke walking over to me.

"Making food," I answered, placing the noodles in an empty pot.

"What are you making?" he asked coming to stand behind me.

"Alfredo noodles," I replied, my heart now beating rapidly.

I moved over to the sauce and took up one of the small spoons on the counter beside me. I blew on the sauce and tasted it, painfully aware that Sasuke was watching my every move. I felt him shift closer to me and I gulped.

"Needs more cheese," I said, quickly moving to the fridge to retrieve said item. After grating some more into the sauce, I stirred it a bit, letting the cheese melt.

As I was adding some grated garlic into the mix, I saw two arms appear on either side of me. Suddenly, I felt something firm pressing into my back and I licked my lips nervously. From the corner of my eye I could see that Sasuke's head was very close to mine.

"It smells good," he whispered, his hot breath fanning my ear. I inwardly shivered and goose bumps broke out across my skin.

"Thanks," I all but squeaked out. Shit, he's so close! Gah, I need to calm down; I have to taste the sauce.

Trying to ignore the way that Sasuke was pressed up against me, I grabbed another small spoon and filled this one up. I shakily blew the sauce to cool it before bringing it to my lips. I sipped a little of it, pausing to make sure the taste was perfect, and it was. But even though the sauce was perfect, I was not. Why? Because I am like nervously running around on the inside because of Sasuke.

My breath quickened when he pressed more against me. I felt trapped, and I don't know whether I should be jumping in joy or hyperventilating. I mean I feel like I am jumping in joy, running around in circles on the inside, but the whole hyperventilating thing seems like it could happen.

"Does it taste as good as it smells?" he asked, his lips now barely brushing my ear.

Knowing that my voice would fail me, I nodded. I felt like I had jelly for legs and my brain, well I think it has been reduced to a pile of pudding.

"Can I taste it?" his breath now gently brushed against my cheek.

"Sure," I said nervously. The spoon that I still held had a good amount of sauce to it so I turned slightly and offered him the spoon, holding it a couple inches away from his face, waiting for him to reach up with his hand to take it.

Instead of taking it like I thought he would, his right hand guided mine's to his mouth and he sipped the sauce, licking the spoon clean when he was done. Trying my best to ignore the way he looked at me, I turned back to the stove and stirred the sauce some more in an attempt to stay calm.

As I was keeping myself distracted, I felt something soft caress against my shoulder. I risked a peek in time to see Sasuke pressing a kiss to my bare shoulder. I averted my eyes and turn off the stove, shifting slightly so my face was hidden from him. I could feel the heat building up in my cheeks.

I unexpectedly gasped when he nipped me with his teeth before his tongue soothed the area. I shivered inwardly as he repeated the process. I heard footsteps approaching us and apparently Sasuke did too since he pulled away quickly, appearing on the opposite side of the counter.

"How you kids doing?" my mom chirped.

"Hn."

"Fine," I replied, fighting off a blush.

"Is the Alfredo finished?"

"Uh, yeah," I said while pouring the noodles into the sauce.

"Well, let's start carrying out the food."

"Okay," I stated.

My mother grabbed a bowl of potato salad from in the refrigerator and handed it to Sasuke, telling him to go place it on the table outside.

"So?" she asked as she pulled out the chicken from the oven.

"So what?" I asked, pouring the noodles into a glass dish.

"Did anything happen?"

"Why would something happen?" I asked nervously.

"Why wouldn't something happen?"

"Should something have happened?"

"Uh, maybe," she said in an obvious tone.

"I think we should get this food outside," I said, changing the topic.

"Don't think just because you are changing the topic that I am letting you go."

**XxXxXxX**

"This looks great!" Mikoto exclaimed.

"Sakura made the Alfredo," my mom mentioned.

"Did she now?" Mikoto questioned, looking at me. She squealed in delight and clapped her hands. "I've just noticed that you two are matching," she said pointing to both me and Sasuke.

I looked at my clothes and then at Sasuke's, and she was right, we did match – well, our colors matched. I was wearing a black halter top with white pants and he was wearing a white button up shirt – the buttons left open – with a black shirt underneath and black jeans.

"Sakura, dear," my mother said catching my attention. "Honey, did you get bitten by a mosquito?" She pointed to the red mark on my shoulder.

"No," I said nervously. "I don't think so," I added as an afterthought.

I fidgeted slightly as she kept looking at me and I tried to ignore remembering what happened in the kitchen for fear that I would blush. When she finally shifted her eyes away from me, I breathed a sigh of relief, no longer trying to refrain myself from not remembering.

Picking up my fork, I started eating, ignoring the small smirk Sasuke had on his face.

**XxXxXxX**

"Dessert time!" my grandmother announced, walking into the living room with a dish piled high with cookies, brownies, and cakes. We had migrated from the backyard moments ago because the air was getting too chilly.

"These look delightful," Mikoto commented.

"Sakura made the cookies," granny replied.

"Did I ever tell you how divine your daughter's cookies are?" Mikoto asked, turning to face my mother.

"They're not that special," I muttered, nibbling on one.

After spending some time in the living room, my grandmother shooed both me and Sasuke out, telling me to show him to his room.

"This is the hall bathroom," I said, gesturing to the door right next to me. "And this is your room," I stated opening a door a couple feet away from the bathroom. I stepped aside so he could walk in.

"My room is right there," I said, pointing to the door across from us. "If you need anything just let me know," I said before walking out of the room so he could unpack.

I flopped onto my bed lazily once I entered my room. Sighing for absolutely no reason, I turned over and stretched before grabbing the remote to the large television in my room. As I flipped through the channels, I absentmindedly touched the spot on my shoulder, feeling the red bump. I blushed as I recalled what happened.

Deciding that I should start my annual four day anime marathon, I climbed off the bed and went to the small shelves that held the DVDs. After picking up four cases, I retreated to my bed, ready to put them in order to watch. As I was placing them in a neat stack, someone knocked on my door.

"It's open," I said. The door opened and Sasuke stood there, leaning against the dorm frame.

Buzzz, buzz, buzzz…cannot function, going into sleep mode…buzzz…

That's my mind turning into pudding again. I mentally slapped myself for staring at him so long, but I couldn't help it.

"What's up?" I questioned as casually as I could.

"It's dinner time," he informed. I watched as his eyes looked me up and down.

"Um, alright," I said. I ignored his dark orbs, instead choosing to straighten out the pile of DVDs that were already straight. After fumbling with it for a few more minutes, I stood up and followed him downstairs to most likely meet my doom – my mother and her gleaming, mischievous eyes and her devious smile.

* * *

**Eh, it's not that long of a chapter this time, but I hope that you enjoyed it. I threw in a pinch of SasuSaku. Review? Please? **


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter came out later than expected. I moved into my dorm and tried connecting to the internet but I couldn't because it said no access even though I was connected. And my bro and my mom came to drop off some more of my stuff and I told my brother and he tried and it still didnt work so he told me to carry it to I.T. and ask for this guy that he knew that would help.**

**So, I went to the library and I went up to the counter and I asked the lady is such and such here? And I am just expecting her to just direct me to the I.T. section, but nope; she asks me why do I need to see such and such and I am like my laptop doesn't want to connect to the internet.**

**Then she was like have you logged on in here (in the library) and I am like no; so, she makes me log on and then I went back to her and she tried to connect (she wasn't even like an I.T. person) and then she finally went to an I.T. person, but it wasn't the person I asked for.**

**And the I.T. lady tried and tried and she couldn't get it to connect to the internet and so, guess what happened. They ended up waiting for the same person I originally asked for from the beginning. **

**Anyways, now that I have finished ranting, here is the next chapter.**

* * *

"Hurry up guys!" my grandmother shouted from upstairs. Today is the day we go into town and I am quite happy. Maybe I might be able to buy some last minute presents for Sasuke's family, but I am seriously disappointed that I had no idea that they were the guests. If I did, I would have brought Sasuke's present, but sadly, it's sitting at home in my closet.

I was putting on my winter clothes when Sasuke came to join me at the small closet near the front door. I wrapped a scarf around my neck and straightened out my jacket before looking up at him. I let out a giggle which earned me a a raised eyebrow.

"Let me fix that," I said reaching up to fix the hat on his head.

**XxXxXxX**

Two women giggled as they watched the innocent display between their children.

"Mikoto-chan," started Sakura's mother, "I think that..." she trailed off whispering in the other woman's ear.

"What a wonderful idea!" Mikoto exclaimed.

The two sneaked away from the spot they were in and walked into the kitchen, further discussing the relationship between their two children.

**XxXxXxX**

"There we go," I said brightly, pulling my hand away from his head. Before fully retracting my hand, I brushed a lock of hair out of his face, my hand pausing in its action.

"See they're ready!" my granny said, pointing to us.

I blushed and jumped away from Sasuke. "Ehehehe," I nervously laughed out.

After waiting for a couple of minutes - totally Sasori's and Itachi's fault - we set out, taking my grandfather's large truck and my grandmother's red SUV. The drive was thankfully tolerable, seeing as Sasori was quiet for he was messing around with the little puppets my mother gave him. I shifted slightly, my leg brushing against Sasuke's - unintentionally; really it was.

My grandpapi parked the truck in front of a small bakery and got out.

"So here's the plan," granny said as she stood in front of us. "The kiddies will go pick out the tree and drop it off by the house while we go shopping around. We'll meet back up here at two."

"Why do we have to get the tree?" Sasori asked.

"You don't expect us oldies to go get it do you?" my grandmother questioned, hands on her hips. When she glanced over to me, I saw a glimmer in her eyes and it vaguely reminded me of the ones my mother has in her eyes when Sasuke is around me.

Sasori sighed and trudged back to the truck. "Might as well get this over with," he muttered, climbing into the driver's seat. Itachi, Sasuke, and I all piled in after him and followed the directions my grandfather gave us right before we left.

"It's a white wonderland," I said as I saw white everywhere. "Wait," I said in thought, "they sent us to get a tree, but do we have anything to cut the tree down with?"

Realizing that I may be right, we all searched through the truck and found two axes waiting for us. So they had this planned all along eh?

We trekked through the ankle deep snow, scrutinizing every tree we passed by, determining if it was good or not. I glanced around and noticed that Sasori and Itachi were ahead of me and that Sasuke was a good few yards away in front of me. Feeling mischievous, I picked up a handful of snow and packed it into a tight ball all the while trying to supress my giggles. Taking aim, I launched it and it hit Sasuke directly in the head.

"Bullseye," I laughed out as he turned to me, a glint in his eyes. I watched as he formed an even bigger snowball and approached me. "Ehehehe," I giggled nervously before turning and sprinting off.

I heard his footsteps rapidly approaching and I ducked behind a tree before sprinting back the way I came from. I quickly turned, going for cover just as the white ball of snow whizzed past my hip. Just where in the world was he aiming?

I dashed off again, hoping to put more distance between us before he could attempt to hit me with another snowball, but I felt an arm snake around my waist before being pulled back into a firm chest.

"Hn."

"Ehehehe," I laughed out, wiggling my way free from his grasp. I took off again and once again heard footsteps approaching me quickly. Thinking I could dodge him, I quickly turned right, but he caught me and we both went tumbling down to the ground, me landing on top of him.

I was breathing heavily as I pushed myself up a bit. I looked down at Sasuke who was looking up at me, his hands grasping my hips. My eyes traced over his face and the snow that was caught in his dark, silky hair.

Feeling my hand move on its own, I watched as it brushed away the white cold from his face and hair.

**XxXxXxX**

"Where'd they go?" Sasori asked, looking around.

Itachi was silent as he watched his red haired friend check around trees before looking at him. He nodded in the direction they came from and watched as Sasori took off. Sighing he walked slowly behind the boy.

**XxXxXxX**

"SAKURA!" I heard my brother shouting. I was brought out of the trance I was in and immediately pulled back my hand.

I pushed myself up and off of Sasuke seconds before my brother burst through the trees, holding his axe like a madman.

"You really shouldn't be carrying that like that," I said to him before offering Sasuke a hand. Sasuke took the offered hand and pulled himself up and right into me causing me to slip ending up with both me and him in a tangled mess on the snowy ground - him on top of me, might I add.

"Nice," Sasori said.

"Shut up," I said before my voice died down incredibly - I was dead silent because I felt something shifting between my legs. Looking down, I left out a shaky breath when I saw one of Sasuke's legs between mine.

"Um." I shyly looked up at him. In response, he started to shift off of me, accidentally brushing his leg against me once again, causing shivers to race up and down my entire body both inside and out.

I let out a breath of relief when he finally rolled off of me and into the snow. This time instead of helping him up, I just got up and dusted myself off - for a really long time so that he could get up on his own. When Sasuke glanced at me, I blushed and turned to face my brother who was looking away.

"So did you find a tree?" I asked, breaking the silence that had surrounded us.

"Actually yes," my brother replied.

"Is it a good tree?" I questioned.

"What else kind of tree would it be?"

"Knowing you, it could be some kind of bare, thin, raggedy tree."

"Sakura, I am an artist," he informed, puffing his chest out.

"And?"

"And what?"

"What does that have to do with you picking out a bad tree?"

"I picked the tree out," Itachi said, walking into the small clearing we were in.

"Well, that's different then," I said. My brother looked at me with a look of fake betrayal. "Suck it up," I said as we all headed to where the tree was.

**XxXxXxX**

"There we go!" Sasori exclaimed, dusting his mitten clad hands off. The tree was now securely tied to the bed of the truck. "Everyone pile in!"

The ride back to the house was a little long, but it wasn't anything that I couldn't endure. The one thing I couldn't stand though was the coldness inside the vehicle. Sasori - that stubborn idiot - didn't want to raise the heat in the truck, so me, being well me, decided to change that.

I got up and leaned over into the front of the car, trying to reach the heat, but my fingers was about an inch away and no matter how much I stretched forward, I still didn't reach it.

"What are you doing?" Sasori asked me.

"Well, since you didn't want to put up the heat when I asked you nicely, I am trying to do it myself," I explained, emphasizing the last word as I tried to stretch forward again. Itachi's hand reached forward and easily touched the button for the heat. "Thank you," I said gratefully, relaxing a bit.

I patted him on the head once and was about to move back, but Sasori stepped on the brakes abruptly, almost causing me to fly forward if not for the hold Sasuke had on the back of my jacket. "Thank you," I muttered to him before Sasori stepped on the gas, causing me to fly backwards, and, well, since Sasuke was pulling me backwards, the force of both those things caused me to land directly in his lap, his hands now on my hips.

I stiffly sat there, not knowing what to do. I felt more jittery than nervous, and I tried very hard not to fidget around. It was only when Sasori turned back to look at us when he was by a traffic light, that I came out of my stupor of shock.

I watched as he opened his mouth to comment, but Itachi spoke, saying that the light was now green. I blew out a sigh of relief and attempted to remove myself from Sasuke only to have him tightened his hold on my hips. I didn't dare turn around or questioned him - this was already nervewracking as it is.

So for the remainder of the ride that's how I was - sitting quietly and stiffly, well, until Sasuke pulled me back into his chest and into a very comfortable position, but that's besides the point. The point is that it was making my heart beat faster - and I was also fidgety.

**XxXxXxX**

"Ok! The tree is up and the living room, and Sakura has disappeared," Sasori trailed off as he looked around for his sister.

**XxXxXxX**

As soon as I stepped into the house, I bolted straight to my room. I needed a breather to calm my nerves from short circuiting so much. I slid down the back of the door as I rested a hand against my beating heart, thinking about sitting in Sasuke's lap.

I have to admit that I liked it - and my mother would have jumped in joy upon hearing that - but I didn't really expect things to happen this way. I never expected that whatever was between us to escalade to this point at this time, I never expected him to spend the holidays with us, heck, I never expected to be forcefully placed in his lap for a thirty minute drive.

I guess I really do have to expect the unexpected.

* * *

**Well, I am going to end it there. The next chapter is most likely going to be a continuation of this chapter. **

**And on another note, I'm going to rant to you guys -again- if you do not mind. **

**So I moved in on the 12th and had all the internet problems, yada, yada, yada, and well I went home Friday and came back Sunday morning. Now, here is the problem: my mom and brother came to my room to help me carry my bags because I had a suitcase, guitar case, laptop bag, and a big plastic bag filled with other things. **

**Ok, so we came to my room and my mom spent like 15-20 minutes helping me arrange my things and then I walked with them to leave, but I was called out by this lady and she made me go into this office and she started telling me but how if I have guests they need to sign in and leave their I.D. and yada, yada, yada. But they were not guests, they just came to drop off my stuff and since it was a lot they helped me.**

**And then she is like you can't have a male in your room till noon (it was like 11 something in the morning). Then she is like, it doesn't matter if it is your parents, they have to sign in and leave I.D. and stuff. All I have to say is they did not do a good job with clarifying the rules because nobody really told us and besides I find that it is a stupid rule if your family has to do that. I understand friends - like I totally get that - but just because my mom and brother came and helped me with my stuff? That just ruined my day.**

**And not only that but I mean my dad passed away early this year in February and it just so happened that he passed away the day before my 18th birthday. So I kinda been going through a lot. So yeah, it's just irritating to me, especially when they call me out. It's like pick on ****my name here****(Midnight). **

**Anyway, sorry for the ranting, but I had to get it out of my system. Please review. It'll be great if you do because it'll brighten up my day. And you don't really have to say sorry about my dad and stuff because really you have nothing to be sorry about and I kinda don't like that sometimes (the whole sorry for your loss). Anyway, review please. **


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Really, I have no idea sometimes what are up with people. I mean is it because I managed to get a single room that I don't have to share? Because I mean, I heard that people were asking how I got one. Maybe like staff people for the housing. I just don't know. **

**Then they had a mandatory meeting for all resident students. And among the things they talked about guess what else they mentioned...VISITING! Gosh, these people sometimes.**

**Disclaimer: Do not own. I own my pudding that I am eating though because I bought my pudding. Pudding is good.**

* * *

After my mini break we set off to the meeting place, but when we arrived we found no one waiting so I decided to text my mom and she said to go do whatever we wanted till three. This was the perfect chance for me to buy gifts and so off I went - by myself because I seriously thought I would shop alone but apparently not- with Sasuke.

"So what kinda stuff does your mom like?" I asked as I glanced around at the stores.

"Hn." I turned to him and he shrugged and I sighed. Men.

"What's her favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Just like you!" Hey, that rhymes! I giggled before walking along, looking for anything blue that might prove to be a good enough present. Many things caught my eye, but none of them stood out like the necklace at one store. Going inside, I watched through the glass case.

"May I help you?" a young boy around my age asked, his blue eyes piercing into mine.

"Um, yes," I began, "how much does this cost." I pointed to the blue necklace and he pulled it out of the case.

"It's twenty-five percent off," he stated before showing me the tagged price. I slightly cringed at the price, but figured what the heck, I might as well just get it. Besides, soon enough I would be working at the flower shop.

"I'll take it," I informed before he went to grab a small jewelry box.

"So what does your grandmother like?" I asked.

"Hn."

"That's not a helpful answer you know," I pointed out.

"Tea."

"I'm supposed to give her tea for Christmas?" I asked.

"Hn."

"Tch," I said before walking over to the cash registering where the guy with blue eyes was. After asking if I wanted a bow on it, I paid the money, sniffling slightly as my wallet size decreased.

"We'll off to buy tea, I guess," I said as we walked out the store.

After buying a basket filled with tea boxes and a decorative fan, I bought something for my grandpapi and Sasuke's grandfather.

"So does Itachi always wear nail polish?" I asked out of the blue.

"..."

"I take that as a yes. I wonder why though? But then again Sasori wears nail polish too and so do the others? Hmm...strange, but at least I know what to get him!"

After getting several bottles of nail polish - hey, I think Itachi should have some variety - we went to grab something to eat. I sighed in delight as I drank my hot chocolate - topped with marshmallows because to me it just makes it better. I looked over at Sasuke who was sipping his tea quietly.

"Didn't you want hot chocolate?" I asked even though I knew of his slight dislike of sweets.

"No," he replied.

"But hot chocolate makes the world go round!" I exclaimed. At his stare I laughed. "Ok, it doesn't make the world go round, but still it's so good. Here, try some!" I boldly put the cup in front of him, thinking that this would be an indirect kiss.

I imagined how my mother would react if she saw us now and I sweat-dropped. She would have probably made me kiss him instead as a way to get him to taste the hot chocolate.

"Hn."

"Come on, just one sip," I said.

He took the cup and I watched in anticipation as he raised it to his lips and took a sip. "So how is it?" I asked.

"Hn," he said before handing me the cup.

"Really? That's all? I do not even think that 'hn-ing' counts," I stated before looking down into my cup only to see that a lot was missing and that three marshmallows was gone. "I thought you took a sip?!"

"I did," he stated.

"That is not a sip, that's more like three gulps."

"No."

"Yeah, so much for not liking sweets," I sarcastically said before hmph-ing. I drank the rest of my hot chocolate while trying to ignore the smug smirk adorning Sasuke's face, but I ended up smiling behind the rim of my cup.

**XxXxXxX**

"Sakura," my mother called out.

"Hm?" I hummed out while picking up a red ornament for the tree.

"You get to put the star on the tree when we are finished," my mother happily said.

"Ok," I yawned out, handing her a blue ornament.

"I see you went shopping," she said conversationally.

"Mhmm, but I left Sasuke's present at home because _someone_ didn't tell me that he would have been here," I said looking pointedly at her.

"Oh relax sweetie," she said waving me off. "I got it covered. I put the present in your bag before we left."

"Really?" That's actually pretty nice. "But wait," I said aloud, "how did you know where to find it?" I asked in realization.

"It's not that hard sweetie," my mother said nonchalantly while hanging a gold ornament onto the tree. "Anyway, you can put the star up; I just remembered that I have something important to go do."

"Sure, leave me with all the decorating why don't ya," I mumbled as she merrily walked away.

**XxXxXxX**

"Mikoto-chan," Sakura's mom sang as she entered the other woman's room. "Where did you put it?" Mikoto pointed to a bag at the end of the bed.

"Think that they will notice?" Mikoto asked.

"Not one bit. Now let's go," Sakura's mother said, grabbing the bag and waltzing out the room with Mikoto close behind.

**XxXxXxX**

I stood back and admired my masterpiece. It was good if I do say so myself. Green, gold, blue, red, purple, and silver ornamental bulbs decorated the tree, and multicolored lights were woven between branches. All that was left was the star.

Now I enjoy putting the star on the tree, I really do. It was something that I got to do almost every single year, but when the tree is taller than me and I have no way of reaching the top, well, it plain out sucks. There was no way I could reach the top and I had nothing to stand on to give me a boost.

So here I stood with the star in one hand and my other hand placed on my hip. I sighed as I thought about having to bring a chair from the dining room. But even as I thought about it, the chair wouldn't boost me enough for me to reach the top. Well, this sucks.

"Hn."

"Oh hey," I said turning to the owner of the voice I knew so well. "What brings you out here?"

"Hn."

Gah, is that all he can say?

"Well Mr. Hn, if that's all would you kindly leave me alone so I could figure out how to put this star on the tree?" I turned back to the tree and thought about how to get the star up. I could ask Sasuke for help, but just how would he help me? I mean he can give me a boost, but will I be able to reach the top? So many questions, so many answers, where's the magic meatball?

"Hey Sasuke? Can I have some help - woah," I said as he boosted me up - I was sitting on his shoulders, his hands on my thighs. Cue nervous, fidgety me.

I shakily put the star on the tree before one of my hands came to rest on his head for a bit of support - because I felt like I was gonna fall even though I know he probably wouldn't let that happen, but still.

"Hey, do you want some candy canes," my mom trailed off once she saw us.

There's that glint again, and is that Mikoto peeking at us from the kitchen? What the hell.

"Forget I asked anything," my mom said before leaving us there.

"You could have at least given me a candy cane!" I called out after her. "So, um, can I get down now?" I asked, looking down at Sasuke's black hair.

"Hn," he replied.

As I slid off, I -might have- intentionally slid my fingers through his hair, feeling the silkiness. Ok, so it wasn't might have, but anyways...

"Do you wanna go get a candy cane?" I asked.

"Hn."

I rolled my eyes at his choice of words before heading into the kitchen to take the candy cane that I was supposed to get in the first place.

"Mother, dearest, can I have my candy cane that you have deprived me of?"

"Why sure daughter who is talking a bunch of nonsense," she replied.

I made a face at her and took a candy cane out of the small box that was sitting on the counter.

"How was decorating?" she asked as Sasuke walked into the room.

Such great timing she has, don't ya think?

"I'm going to my room," I announced.

"Without dinner?" Mikoto asked.

"Oh, I have everything I need up in there," I said smiling. And with that said, I bounced all the way up to my room to get ready for some nice relaxation.

* * *

**Well, I know this chapter probably didn't have a lot to it, but I still got one out for you guys. The next one will probably have more to it than this. Reviews are loved!  
**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! **

**So I noticed a few mistakes with the last chapter after I posted it and it was mostly grammar and spelling. I apologize for that, but I was too lazy to go back and fix it so please bear with it. **

**And the whole magic meatball thing? Well, have any of you guys watched iCarly and the episode with Spencer and the meatball? Well, that's what made me randomly put it in the last chapter.**

* * *

I waited as the phone rang and rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Tenten!" I greeted.

"Sakura? I thought you had no reception?"

"I don't."

"Then how?"

"There is something called a house phone. Have you forgotten about that?"

"Heehee, right. So how's your holiday vacation going?"

"It's interesting...Hey! Let's three way with Hinata."

"Kay," Tenten said before putting me on hold so she could ring Hinata.

"Hello?" Tenten asked.

"Heeeey," I said.

"Hello," came Hinata's soft voice.

"Oh how I have missed you guys so," I stated dramatically into the phone.

"What about Ino?" Tenten asked.

"Eh, she can wait until I call," I said absentmindedly waving a hand in the air to emphasize my point even though nobody except me could see the action.

"Soooo, like I asked before how's your holiday vacation?" Tenten asked.

"Well, let's see," I began while rolling onto my stomach - I was lying down on my bed. "I got bitten by a chicken-ass haired mosquito."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Tenten confusedly asked.

"Tenten, think," I said slowly. "What has chicken-ass hair?"

"Sasuke," Hinata said.

"Exactly."

"You got bit by a mosquito that looked like Sasuke?!" Tenten shouted.

"What?! No! What the hell Tenten?"

"Well, you said you got bitten by a mosquito," she explained.

"Um, Tenten, I don't think Sakura means a real mosquito."

"Then..."

"Yes, Tenten, it means that Sasuke is here and he bit me." I waited for a response from either girl.

"Wait, he's there? Scratch that! HE BIT YOU?!"

"Tenten, I would like to keep my hearing thank you very much."

"How? What? Where? When? Why? Details love."

"Okay, how, well, he just bite me. Where? In my grandmother's kitchen. When? When I was cooking. Why? I have absolutely no fricken clue."

"So where did he bit you?" she questioned in a sly tone.

"I told you-"

"No, I mean WHERE," she emphasized.

"On my shoulder."

"Is there a mark?" she questioned.

"Yes," I replied.

"At least it's hidden right?" Hinata asked.

"Eh, not so much. The shirt I'm wearing doesn't cover my shoulders."

"Did anybody-"

"My mom."

"No way. Did she know what it was?"

"I don't think so. She thought a mosquito bit me."

"Daaaaammmmnnn, you guys got it going on!"

"Shut it!"

"So how is your vacation otherwise?" Hinata asked.

"Good."

"Of course it will be!"

"Tenten!"

"Tenten, I think your making her blush," Hinata giggled out in a sly tone.

"Hinata, not you too."

"Hahaha, you know we love you!" Tenten exclaimed making kissy sounds through the phone.

"Save it for Neji," I replied.

"Shush," she commanded. "Well, we don't wanna take up anymore of your time," Tenten slyly said.

"And don't worry we'll tell Ino," Hinata added.

"Fine. Bye!"

**XxXxXxX**

"Mikoto-chan, which one of these do you think I should buy for Sakura?" Mebuki, Sakura's mother, asked.

"The white is nice, but I don't think it would do. Get the blue; it's Sasuke's favorite color. Better yet, just get both."

After paying for the two items both women walked out of the little store and headed over to the small cafe across the street.

"So we are going to..." Mikoto began.

"Exactly," Mebuki stated as her cup of coffee was placed in front of her by the waitress. "But Miko-chan," Mebuki added, using the other woman's nickname from school, "I think we might need some help with this."

"I think you might be right," Mikoto agreed.

**XxXxXxX**

"Please," Mebuki said to her son.

"Itachi-chan, you would do this for mommy right?" Mikoto asked sweetly, her eyes big and begging.

"Eh," Sasori began.

"I'll give you fifty dollars and you won't have to mow the lawn for three months," Mebuki quickly said.

"Deal," Sasori finally agreed after thinking it over.

"How about you Ita-chan?" Mikoto asked, causing Sasori to snort at the nickname. The red head earned a glare from Itachi and he held up his hands in front of him in defeat, a big smile on his face.

"Aa," the boy said, earning him a hug from his mother.

"We'll let you know when," Mebuki said already dragging Mikoto out of the room and towards the kitchen.

"It's Christmas Eve," Mebuki stated. "Is everything set?" she asked the other woman.

"Relax, see," Mikoto said pointing up at the doorframe where a mistletoe hung. "They're all over the house. Those two couldn't possibly avoid them."

**XxXxXxX**

"She said she packed it in my bag but it's not here!" I sighed in frustration and plopped down onto the carpeted floor. I had been searching for fifteen minutes straight for the present that my mother said she put in my bag.

Deciding that the only way I would be able to know where it was, I got up and headed downstairs into the kitchen.

"Mother," I began, "where is the little blue box that you said you placed in my suitcase?" I asked politely, watching as both my mother and Mikoto placed cookies into the oven.

"It should be in the closet on one of the shelves," Mebuki stated turning to face me. "Remember all presents go under the tree before dinner."

"Yeah, yeah," I said walking out of the room.

Heading straight for the closet, I stopped and looked at all the shelves, finally finding it. I tip-toed and grabbed the small box wrapped in navy blue paper with a black and white bow on top.

"I really hope that he likes it," I mumbled to myself uncovering the lid of the box to look at the item inside.

Placing the lid back on the box, I went over to the other presents that were already waiting to be carried downstairs. I stacked the boxes by size so that it would be easier for me to carry to the living room, but the only problem with my plan was that I couldn't really see where I was going.

"Oof." I looked up at the person in front of me. "Sorry Sasuke," I apologized, getting ready to move past him. He shook his head, indicating that it was no problem, and took a couple of the presents out of my hand - his included.

"What's this?" he questioned, getting ready to shake the box.

I quickly grabbed it from him. "You're not supposed to know till tomorrow!"

"I thought you was going to give me my present after Christmas," he said smugly, remembering that one car ride home.

"Well, I changed my mind," I said. I stuck my tongue out at him and walked down the stairs.

**XxXxXxX**

'Cute,' Sasuke thought as he watched her walk down the stairs, his eyes trailing lower than they should. He followed her down to the living room and set the presents down, eyeing his own that was set on top of another box.

**XxXxXxX**

I turned around and saw Sasuke eyeing his present. "You can't touch it till tomorrow."

"Aa," he said, shifting his eyes in my direction.

I gulped when I saw the intense look he was giving me. Licking my lips nervously, I noticed his eyes following the action.

"Well, I guess that I'll see you at dinner," I said before fast walking up to my room. After calming down I showered and dressed into a black, long sleeved v-neck shirt with a light gray pants. I brushed through my hair, applied a small amount of lipgloss to my lips, and slipped on my ankle-high boots.

I made my way out of my room, deciding that I should be early to dinner, and apparently Sasuke had the same idea because I bumped into him on the stairs. I tried not to stare at him, but he was looking way too good in those black jeans and that navy blue shirt.

"Hey," I greeted, trying not to let my imagination run loose.

"Hey," he said back before we both walked down the stairs.

**XxXxXxX**

"Here they come!" Mikoto squealed as she caught sight of Sasuke and Sakura heading towards their direction.

"Finally, we get to see some action," Mebuki said, her eyes following the two teens.

**XxXxXxX**

"So what did you get me?" I asked as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hn."

"You're not going to tell me?"

"Aa."

"Yes, you are going to tell me? Or yes, you're not going to tell me?"

"I dunno," he said smirking.

"Meanie," I said poking him.

As soon as we stepped into the kitchen, our mothers attacked us with big smiles on their faces.

"Um..." I said confused.

"Look up," Mikoto giggled. Both me and Sasuke did and my mouth opened slightly in shock.

No way! They caught us under the mistletoe. Heck! I didn't even know we had any mistletoe.

"C'mon you two," my mother said. "You're both under it. You know what you have to do."

I looked at her like she was a crazy person! There is no way that I'm gonna do that - at least not with her around. Well, that is if I get the courage to kiss him.

"C'mon you two," Mikoto sang.

I felt Sasuke's breath on my face and my heart started racing while our mothers squealed in glee at the idea of us kissing. I held my breath as his face inched towards mine, but all I felt was a slight pressure on my cheek. I turned to face him only to see him already walking in the direction of the dining room.

"Sasuke!" his mother called after him.

"Hn."

"What was that?" she demanded to know as she quickly followed after him.

I turned to face my mother who was shaking her head at me in disappointment. "What?" I questioned after my embarrassment died down.

"This is where jumping him would have come in handy," she stated.

"If I am going to jump him - and I am not saying that I would - I would not do it in front of you or Mikoto."

"Ah, I see," she said slyly.

I sighed at her before walking over to the pots on the stove. Peeking inside each pot, I saw different dishes ranging from curry to miso soup.

"Dinner will be ready in a sec," she said. "Why don't you go into the dining room?"

As I walked I looked up every now and again, making sure that there were no mistletoes in sight. I probably looked crazy staring at the ceiling while walking forward, but could you blame me? Finding nothing, I made my way into the dining room to see Mikoto pinching Sasuke's cheeks.

"I could always come back," I said already turning around.

"No, no stay," Mikoto said motioning for me to come over. "I already set the table. See? That's my seat and Fugaku's..." I listened as she pointed out everyone's seat, saving mine for last. "And this is your seat," she said gesturing to the seat next to Sasuke.

**XxXxXxX**

Aside from the looks Mikoto and my mother were giving me and Sasuke, dinner was uneventful. Though I did catch Sasori and Itachi looking at me and Sasuke weird. But then again they are kinda weird in their own way.

Not wanting to stay downstairs any longer, I grabbed my dessert and headed up to my room, planning to get to sleep early so I could wake up early for presents. Present, presents, presents. That was what was running through my mind as I tried to sleep. That and well Sasuke and what he got me - if he got me anything at all.

Tossing and turning, I finally gave up on trying to sleep and checked the time on my phone. 1:38 A.M. I sighed. Maybe I could open one of my presents now; it's technically Christmas anyways. Making my way quietly to the door, I lightly stepped into the hallway, silently hoping that the stairs would not creak while I am heading down them to the living room.

I managed to tip-toe to the steps and I let out a sigh of relief, looking behind me to make sure that nobody woke up. Trying to be as quiet as a mouse, I walked down the stairs before briefly stopping in front of the kitchen archway to look at the dangling mistletoe above.

Pushing away any thoughts that I had from earlier, I started towards the living room. I took a few seconds to admire the lit tree shining in the darkness before I plopped down in front of it. I searched through the pile of presents, locating a couple of mine, but the one I decided to pick up was Sasuke's gift to me.

The box wasn't too large and it was wrapped in red with a gold bow placed neatly on top. I gleefully smiled as I watched the lights bouncing off of the shiny gift paper. I raised the box to my ear, getting ready to shake it to hear what was inside.

"What are you doing?" a voice said, startling me.

I turned around to see Sasuke standing right behind me. "Ehehehehe, nothing," I said while trying to move the box away from me without him noticing.

"It looks like you are trying to open presents early."

"Well, technically it is Christmas."

"And out of all your presents you chose mine?"

I blushed at that. "How about this; you open one present and I open one present."

"Fine." I watched as he searched for his present. He grabbed the gift that was from me and took a seat beside me on the floor.

"You go first," I said. I waited impatiently as he took off the bow. I was curious, nervous, and slightly afraid as to how he would react. This is the first time in my life that I felt like this. I always questioned Naruto about my gift selection for Sasuke, but this is the first time that I didn't ask for Naruto's opinion.

I bit my lip as I watched him take the lid off the box and set it aside. He picked up the item inside, it's metallic surface catching the light of the tree immediately.

"How do you like it?" I questioned as he looked the silver and black bracelet over.

He turned to me and I started to play with my fingers out of nervousness. "Thank you," he murmured, his eyes boring into mine. I smiled brightly as he clasped it on his right wrist. "I like it," he finally said.

"I'm glad that you do," I said happily. My smile felt so big on my face.

"Your turn," he said, grabbing the present I had from earlier and handing it to me.

As I unwrapped the gift, I could feel his eyes on me. I ignored the urge to look up at him and instead opened the small, wide box. As I moved some tissue paper aside, I gasped silently as I watched a gold necklace sitting there staring up at me.

The pendant - which just happened to be heart-shaped - was encrusted with diamonds and rubies. I held it up in the light in amazement at such a small, expensive gift. It turned this way and that in my hand and I caught sight of something on the back. Looking behind, I saw the words 'From Sasuke' engraved into it.

I finally looked at him and tackled him into a hug - not because I was following my mother's advice of jumping him, but because I wanted to do it. "Thank you," I whispered as his arms wrapped around me. Never would I ever have expected him to give me such an expensive gift.

**XxXxXxX**

"Mikoto-chan, look at how cute they look!" Mebuki squealed as the two of them hid behind the wall.

"That's so adorable! Did you know that I told him that he should have engraved the words 'Love Sasuke' on the back when he showed it to me, but he didn't want to put it. He said not yet because he didn't know how Sakura would react." Mikoto huffed.

Mebuki sighed. "At least we got all of this on camera," she piped up watching the two teens from the camcorder in her hand.

"They'll have it for memories."

"And we could show our grandchildren just how much time they took to reach this point," Mebuki mentioned as both women watched as Sasuke placed the necklace around Sakura's neck.

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**I wanted to update sooner, but I didn't get a chance until now. I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. Review please and let me know what you think. **


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Hey guys! I loved your reviews. By the way, this chapter was supposed to come out earlier, but I have so much work to do, especially since the ending of the first semester is near. Currently, I have three research papers to write. Two of them are five page papers (not including title page, outline, and reference page) and the last one is an eight page paper (not including the title page, outline, and reference page). And finals are just around the corner, but on a lighter note, I have a month off for the holidays! Anyways on to the story! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other anime mentioned in this story.**

* * *

Last night - well, I should say this morning -after me and Sasuke opened our presents- we hung out in the living room until I fell asleep with my head leaning against the sofa.

When I came to this morning, I was on the sofa and Sasuke was nowhere in sight. I figured he went to the bathroom or to the kitchen, but my wondering was cut short when my mother and Mikoto happily walked into the room holding a camcorder.

As soon as they set their eyes on me, the camcorder was thrust into my face and I winced slightly as they loudly wished me a Merry Christmas. Sasuke had at that time walked into the room and they pounced on him, shoving the electronic device into his face.

They had then happily announced the opening of presents and started grabbing theirs. By the time I finished opening the rest of mines that lay under the tree, everyone else was already awake and sitting in the living room. Grandpapi had then announced breakfast and well, now here I am, in my room, about to start my anime marathon.

Let's see...

Stocked mini fridge...Check

Stocked mini freezer...Check

Drawers full of snacks...Check

Microwave...Check

Soft, comfy blanket...Check

And my DVDs...Check

I love my grandpapi. He always restocks my food supply every time I come over.

Grabbing the first disc of Claymore, I popped it into the DVD player and jumped onto my bed. I reached out and opened the drawer and pulled out a bag of sour cream and onion Lays and settled down into my blanket, waiting for the show to start.

XxXxXxX

I finished watching Claymore a couple of hours ago, and now I am currently watching G Gundam while eating a tub of ice cream.

Knock, knock, knock

"Who is it?" I asked with my eyes glued to the screen.

"Sasuke."

"Crap," I muttered as I looked down at my clothes - a black tank top which showed a hint of skin and really short, short shorts. Well, he has seen me in a bikini so I guess this is okay.

"It's open," I said as I paused the DVD. I watched as the door opened to reveal Sasuke wearing baggy black shorts and a fitted T-shirt.

"Hey," I said as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey," he replied. I caught his eyes scanning me up and down. "What are you doing?" he questioned, his eyes finally meeting my emerald orbs.

"Watching my anime marathon. Wanna join me?" I scooted over a little and offered him a space on the bed. He settled down and covered half of himself with my blanket.

"What are you watching?"

"G Gundam," I answered, pressing the play button on the remote. "Want some?" I questioned, shoving the ice cream towards him. "It's mint chocolate chip," I sang out, knowing that he would eat this flavor ice cream.

"Aa," he said and I grabbed a spoon from one of the many stocked drawers.

XxXxXxX

"Domon, don't make me come in there and slap you then backhand you and repeat!" I said furiously to the screen, watching Domon and Allenby. "You idiot, you love Rain!" I angrily stabbed my spoon into the ice cream and pulled out a big scoopful of mint chocolate chip, shoving it in my mouth while glaring at the screen.

No matter how many times I re-watch this anime, I always get pissed off at Domon for his stupidity. I jabbed my spoon into the ice cream again only to have it clang loudly against Sasuke's spoon.

"Sorry," I said looking at him. "I get worked up whenever I watch these things," I explained.

"Aa," he said, taking a small scoopful of ice cream. I watched as the spoon entered his mouth and my mind already began imagining how his tongue would be cleaning off the spoon. I suppressed a shiver and tried to ignore the excitement pulsing through my veins. "What?" he suddenly said asked, bringing me back from my imagination.

"You have a little ice cream right here," I said, wiping the edge of his mouth with my index finger.

He grabbed my finger before I could move it away and my heart immediately started pounding in my chest. He brought the digit up to his lips and his tongue flicked out to lick the ice cream off. The feeling of his warm, wet tongue sliding along the tip of my finger sent shivers up my spine and I tried my best to relax, but the torturous way his tongue moved had my body reacting in delight.

"SHINING FINGER!" blared from the speakers and startled me. I quickly pulled my hand away from him, turning to look at the screen of the TV. The next ten minutes made me feel a tad bit uncomfortable until Mikoto called for Sasuke. I sighed loudly once he was out of the room.

I bit my lip as I thought about what just happened, causing my heart to speed up. I shook my head and took a scoopful of ice cream, trying to focus on what was going on in the anime.

XxXxXxX

"Dinner is ready," Sasuke said as he walked back into the room.

"Is it dinnertime already?" I paused the DVD and glanced at the clock. 7:42 PM.

I had finished up the ice cream a half hour ago and the empty container was sitting next to my ever growing pile of trash. I got up from my bed when Sasuke leaned against the doorframe to wait for me.

"So what's for dinner," I asked, trying to ignore his eyes.

"Sushi," he said.

"Okay," I said as I stood next to him. As we both walked to the dining room, I was cautious about my surroundings. I definitely didn't want a repeat of the whole mistletoe fiasco with Mikoto and my mother around.

XxXxXxX

"New Year's is going to be so much fun," my mother said excitedly with sparkles in her eyes.

"Is it true that you can see the fireworks perfectly from here?" Mikoto questioned, equally excited as my mother.

"Yes! The balcony on the second floor faces the exact spot where the fireworks appear!"

I picked up a piece of sushi and shoved it in my mouth, keeping my eyes away from Sasuke's face, but when I felt something brushing against my leg, my eyes flew directly to him. He, of course, acted like nothing happened, but when he looked at me directly, I could see the mischief in his eyes.

The next day after lunch...

Both Sasori and Itachi watched as Sasuke closed the door behind him and Sakura.

"It's done," Sasori stated.

"Everything is ready?" Mebuki asked enthusiastically.

"We did exactly what you wanted," Sasori said. "Now can I have my money?"

"Why can't you be like Itachi and do it for your mommy?" she questioned.

"I could always tell dad that you were that one that destroyed his favorite shirt that cost two hundred dollars," Sasori replied.

"Nevermind," Mebuki laughed out nervously while reaching into her pocket to grab the money.

"Thank you so much Ita-kun!" Mikoto said, enveloping the quiet boy in a big hug. She planted a kiss on his cheek before releasing him and turning to Sasori. "Come here you!" she said, opening her arms out to him. "You deserve a hug!"

Sasori awkwardly patted the older woman's back as she practically squeezed the living daylights out of him.

"This is so wonderful!" Mikoto exclaimed as she motioned for the boys to leave them alone.

"Indeed it is," Mebuki agreed. "Now all we have to do is wait for everything to happen."

"That's if Sasuke even does something," Mikoto added.

"Well, he is Fugaku's son," Mebuki stated.

"Very much so," Mikoto agreed, nodding her head.

"The only thing left for us to do is wait."

Mikoto once again nodded in agreement and followed her friend into the living room.

XxXxXxX

Both Sasuke and I had finished watching the whole G Gundam series after breakfast this morning, and we both had sorted through my remaining DVDs, trying to pick the next anime to watch.

I smiled in glee when he had agreed to watch Rurouni Kenshin with me. I sat here now, my eyes glued to the screen, as I watched the battle between Kenshin and Sanosuke when they first met. I glanced at Sasuke, who was watching the screen in interest, and a small smile bloomed onto my face.

XxXxXxX

"Well, I'm going to go shower," I said after I ejected the third disc from the DVD player.

"Aa," Sasuke said. I started to feel tingly, like someone was watching me. I looked up and caught Sasuke's onyx orbs watching me.

"Um, you can stay in here if you like," I said, moving over to the bathroom. Thankfully, I had made the decision to leave fresh clothes and a newly washed towel on the counter last night.

I closed the door behind me and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding before leaning my head on the door behind me, thinking about Sasuke. My body reacts to the way he stares at me. Having his onyx orbs follow my every movement makes my heart beat faster, makes my pulse increase.

I stripped free of my clothes, threw on the new robe my mother bought for me, and reached out towards the shower knobs. I needed a warm shower right about now, especially with the way this weather is getting-colder and colder.

As I turned the knob for warm water, water shot out at me, causing me to screech slightly as I got soaked.

XxXxXxX

**Sasuke's POV**

I jumped off the bed and immediately headed to the bathroom door when I heard Sakura screech. Knocking on the door twice, I called out to her.

"I'm fine," she said. Her tone sounded distracted and I heard water.

"Sakura," I said firmly, already readying myself to force my way in.

"Just a little problem, no big," she said trying to reassure me, but her tone did nothing to keep me from almost breaking the door in when I entered the bathroom.

XxXxXxX

**Sakura's POV**

To say I was shocked when Sasuke barreled into the bathroom would be an understatement. I stood gaping at him like a fish out of water as he looked around the room before his eyes landed on me. In that moment, I saw a spark come to life in his eyes. A spark that I saw several times before but could never guess the meaning of.

XxXxXxX

**Sasuke's POV**

I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She was just standing there, practically soaked to the bone, wearing a robe in my favorite color. My eyes were glued to her figure and I enjoyed seeing the material of the robe stick to her body, hugging her in all the right places.

When I finally moved my eyes up to her face, I caught her blushing and I hid a smirk.

I guess me not thinking about the consequences of storming in here was a good thing.

XxXxXxX

**Sakura's POV**

I couldn't formulate any words as I just stood there staring back at Sasuke whose eyes drank in my form. I faintly recalled Naruto and Ino nagging me, telling me that Sasuke did indeed like me the way I liked him, and right now their words were swimming in my head.

"Um." That broke the atmosphere between us and the sound of water spraying out from the shower faucet made me remember the situation I was in.

"Can you fix it?" I asked.

"I'll try," he said, walking in my direction. I gulped soundlessly and unconsciously held my breath as he passed me, making his way over to the spraying water. I turned and watched as his onyx eyes assessed the situation, trying to figure out how this happened.

XxXxXxX

"Do you think that anything happened yet?" Mikoto asked Mebuki as she poured herself a cup of green tea.

"The only way to know is to go up there and find out," Mebuki said with a mischievous smile.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

The tea cup sat forgotten on the countertop as Mikoto dragged her friend out of the room and in the direction of Sakura's bedroom.

When the two made it up to the room, they peered in to see an empty bedroom and a slightly opened bathroom door.

"It's going well," Mebuki said, pleased.

"Well, let's continue with the rest of what we had planned, hm?"

"Let's," Mebuki answered as both she and Mikoto slipped into the room, moving over to the bathroom door.

Peeking in, they saw that both teens were trying to fix the faucets that were spraying water everywhere. Mebuki held a finger to her lips to silence Mikoto and she soundlessly grabbed the doorknob of the bathroom door.

The door closed silently and the two tip-toed out of the bedroom and down the stairs before laughing like two teenage girls. The clearing of someone's throat caught their attention and they froze, looking like two teens in trouble.

"Just what exactly are you two doing?" Mikoto's mother asked.

"Uh," Mikoto answered.

"Because we want in," Mebuki's mother stated.

"This is gonna be fun," Mebuki said.

"Yes, yes it will," Mikoto said.

"Come, let us enlighten you," Mebuki said as she and Mikoto steered their mothers in the direction of the kitchen.

* * *

**The line where Sakura said she wanted to slap Domon and backhand him and repeat was actually what I said when I was watching the anime. XD**

**Well, here you guys go! I know it was late, very late. But I have a treat for you guys! I also uploaded three other fics, all oneshots. One is very long, the other is not too short, and the last is a companion fic to the not too short one. Please read and review. Thanks again guys!**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Woot! Over 400 reviews! That's awesome! I love you guys! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

_Sakura's POV_

I stood there, shifting my weight from one foot to the next as Sasuke fiddled around with the faucet. I heard him sigh quite loudly before he stood up, his shirt now soaked. His body was turned to me as he continued to stare at the faucet.

"Sakura," he called to me.

"Uh, yeah?" I asked.

He took off his shirt and wrung all of the water out of it. "Put this on the counter," he said handing me his shirt.

"Ok," I said as my eyes took in the sight of him.

Wait, is that an eight pack?! Did he have an eight pack the last time I saw him shirtless? I mentally hit myself over the head repeatedly. Get a hold of yourself Sakura. You've seen Sasuke shirtless before, it's no big deal. Oh hell, who am I kidding? Shirtless Sasuke is a big deal, a very big, fantastic deal. Gah, need to stop!

He ran a hand through his damp hair and small beads of water made their way onto his chest and shoulders. Oh gosh, I think I just mentally fainted.

I watched his muscles flex with every move he took and I mentally had to bash my head against a wall. He fully turned to the faucet again, and I bonked myself on the head before placing his shirt on the counter next to the sink.

Please let me voice not be shaky, please, oh please!

"So can you fix it?" Yes, no shaky voice!

"No," he stated.

"Damn," I murmured.

"I don't have any tools to fix it," he explained, standing up again to face me.

Damn, but you do have some lovely tools. Gah, stop! I mentally smacked myself again. Being in a bathroom with Sasuke might not be the best thing at the moment.

"Well, let's go get my grandfather before this water starts spreading to my room," I said, already turning to the door.

"Aa," he agreed, grabbing his shirt off the counter.

I reached for the doorknob and turned, pulling the door inward, but it didn't budge. I tried again and nothing happen.

"Uh, I think we're locked in..."

"Hn?" he pushed me aside gently and tried to door. When nothing happened, he tried again. He pulled one more time before staggering backward with the doorknob in his hand.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed, one hand tangled in my hair as I leant against the countertop.

This is not happening. First the faucet breaks, and now I am stuck in the bathroom soaked with a shirtless and equally soaked Sasuke. Somebody really loves making me go through this kind of shit, don't they?

I looked up when I heard soggy material moving and saw Sasuke reaching into his back pocket, retrieving his phone. Yay! Oh no, wait, no service! Dammit!

"No service," I said glumly. He sighed and set his phone on the countertop.

"Well, this is just great," I mumbled. "How the hell are we getting out of this one?"

XxXxXxX

"Think that they are stuck in the bathroom yet?" Sasori questioned as he took a sip of his soda.

"Aa," Itachi replied. "They might get sick though."

"Sick?"

"They are probably soaked to the bone by now since the faucets are broken and there is no way to turn the water off unless we turn it off from outside."

"Do you think we should get help?" Sasori asked.

"Do you want to defy your mother?" Itachi questioned.

"Doesn't sound that bad. I mean my sister is up there stuck in a bathroom and soaked to the bone with Sasuke..." Sasori trailed off. "Okay, maybe we should get help," he said, jumping up from his seat.

"My brother isn't like that, you know," Itachi explained.

"I know he isn't, but that doesn't stop my mind from wandering."

"Aa."

"Besides, who knows how crazy Sakura might get locked up there with him." Itachi lifted an eyebrow at Sasori. "My mom has been telling my sister to jump your brother and ravish him."

Itachi snorted slightly. "Aa," he said before walking out the room to find one adult who isn't crazy.

XxXxXxX

"How long do you think we will be stuck in here for?" I asked from my seated position on the countertop.

"Who knows," Sasuke replied. He threw his shirt on the counter next to me as soon as we found out we were stuck in here with no way out.

I watched as the water continually sprayed out of the faucet. I sighed as I shifted my eyes away to look at Sasuke who was leaning against the wall next to the door.

My mind started wandering again as I gazed at his very defined and perfectly sculpted eight pack.

"_Sakura_," Sasuke called out and I shivered at his low tone.

"Y-yeah?" I asked shakily, my eyes meeting his face to see a smirk.

"Like what you see?" he questioned pushing off the wall. He took two steady strides and stood towering before me. He placed one hand on the counter next to me as the other came up to my face, his fingers tracing my cheeks and jaw.

I unconsciously leaned into his touch and his fingers slid behind my head to tangle in my pink locks. "You like this?" he asked his breath now fanning over my lips.

My tongue slid across my lower lip to moisten it and I stilled when I felt Sasuke's lips hovering over mine's.

"Sakura."

"..."

"Sakura."

"..."

"Sakura," Sasuke said, waving a hand in front of my face.

I blinked and noticed that nothing changed except that he was now in front of me. "Sorry, I zoned out," I said. I mentally slapped myself.

"Aa," he said now leaning beside me.

XxXxXxX

"What do you mean Sakura and Sasuke are stuck in the bathroom?" Sasori's grandfather asked him.

"Well, it's exactly what I said, they are stuck," Sasori said.

"And how do you know that they are stuck up there?"

Sasori turned to his father. "Ehehehehe, well," Sasori trailed off. It was true that both him and Itachi walked upstairs and peeked into Sakura's room to see both teens were missing. And the spraying of water could be heard coming from the bathroom.

"Did you guys do this?" Sasori's grandfather asked again.

"Not exactly," Sasori nervously chuckled. "You see what happened was..." Sasori briefly explained how Sakura and Sasuke got stuck in the bathroom with a broken faucet.

"I should have known your mother was up to something." Sasori followed his dad and grandfather out the room with Itachi trailing behind at a leisurely pace.

XxXxXxX

"Hey the water stopped!" I pointed out.

"Aa."

"But we are still stuck," I said. "Okay, if you had three wishes, what would you wish for?" I asked. Sasuke shrugged. "C'mon, there has to be something that you really want."

XxXxXxX

_Sasuke's POV_

You. I want you. You're my everything.

XxXxXxX

"I want to take over my dad's company," he said to me.

"That's cool," I said, swinging my feet back and forth. "But you still have two wishes."

"To find out who was following us," he said seriously.

I stopped swinging my feet back and forth as the air in the bathroom became heavy. "You still have one more wish," I mumbled.

I watched as he thought it over.

"SAKURA! SASUKE! Are you guys in there?!"

"Daddy!" I exclaimed, jumping down from the counter and running up to the door. "We're stuck!"

"I know cupcake," my dad's muffled voice said. "Move away from the door."

"Alright," I said, moving to stand beside Sasuke.

XxXxXxX

"On the count of three. One, two, three!" Sakura's dad and Sasori broke the door down.

"Ouch, that hurt," Sasori said.

"Suck it up," his dad said.

"You're just like Sakura," Sasori whined already heading towards the bedroom door.

XxXxXxX

"Daddy," I said as I gave him a big hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"I'm here too."

"Grandpapi!" I hugged him too. "Whoops, forgot I'm soaked."

I watched as my dad walked into the bathroom, his eyes immediately landing on Sasuke. I felt the need to explain-especially since Sasuke was shirtles-so I stepped in front of my dad and smiled my big pretty smile at him.

"Sasuke came in here to help with the water problem and next thing we knew we're locked in and the door won't open."

"I know pumpkin," he stated.

"You know?" I asked confusedly.

"Sasori told me."

"Sasori?" Then it clicked. "Why I outta," I trailed off.

"Hold it there cupcake, it was your mother that put Sasori up to it."

"I should have known."

"Well, go get cleaned up and me and your grandpapi will fix this right up!"

"Thanks," I said before hugging them one more time. I grabbed my towel on the countertop and walked out the bathroom with Sasuke following me.

I'm gonna have to be on guard because things just got waaaayyy more interesting.

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**There you have it! Another chapter! I hope that you guys enjoyed this one even though it wasn't as long as the last chapter. Please review! **


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Love the reviews guys! I took into consideration some of the things that were said so hopefully you will enjoy the story more when I try to incorporate some other stuff into it. Also, I am very sorry for the late update. I will try to squeeze out as much chapters as I can before my next semester starts. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

* * *

"SAKURA! PHONE!" my mother yelled up to me.

"Phone?" I mumbled.

I walked down the stairs to where my mother was waiting with a cordless phone in her hand.

"Hello?" I asked once I took the device away from her.

"Forehead, omg I miss you so much!"

"Pig?"

"I can't believe I remember this number! It's been like forever since I used it!" Ino rambled. "But anyway, what's been going on? Anything juicy? Come on, details girl!"

"Ino, slow down," I said walking back to my room for privacy.

"Are you kidding me? It's been how long? I need to be updated honey."

"And updated you will be," I said shutting my bedroom door.

"Well, tell me!" she begged.

"What do you wanna know?" I questioned.

"Everything! Have you guys kissed yet? What did he give you for Christmas? Is he being a good boy?"

"Ino, take a breath," I said, cutting the blonde's rambling short.

"But I'm so deprived," she whined.

"If you must know, yes, he did give me a Christmas present."

"What did you get?" she asked me excitedly.

"Hmmmm, I think I'll show it to you when I get back," I teased.

"What? You're so mean," she sniffed.

"You know I love you," I said. "If it makes you feel better, I got locked in a bathroom with Sasuke."

"OMG WHAT?! HOW?!"

"One word: mom," I stated, rolling onto my stomach once I was on my bed.

"What did she do?" Ino asked.

"What else? Locked us in a bathroom," I replied.

"But like how?"

"She made Sasori mess with the door to the bathroom and the faucet inside."

"Faucet?"

I sighed. "Guess I have to tell you the whole story?"

"No shit Sherlock! Tell me!"

I spent over an hour on the phone with Ino explaining basically everything that happened since I stepped foot in this house.

"OMG SO CUTE!"

"Dammit Ino, I told you to stop yelling," I said rubbing my right ear, the phone now placed next to my left.

"Sorry," she apologized. "So anything planned for New Year's?"

"I have no clue. There is some talk about watching fireworks from the balcony."

"How romantic," she sighed.

"It was my mom and Mikoto that were talking about it."

"Oh, but it's still romantic."

"I guess-if you remove the parents, grandparents, and siblings then maybe."

"Think he'll kiss you?"

"How would I know?"

"I don't know."

*rolls eyes at Ino* "So what's going on over there?"

"Well, Tenten made Gai-sensei cancel lessons at the dojo until January."

"Why?"

"She wanted a break," Ino said.

I snorted. "More like she needed a break from Neji and all those awkward situations."

Ino laughed and agreed. "You want to know the latest news on those two?"

"Enlighten me."

"Neji might have almost grabbed her ass."

"Might have almost?" I questioned.

"Well, his hand was within the area, it's just he didn't grab anything."

I laughed. "Did he say it was an accident?"

"More like blamed it on the sparring match."

"What did Tenten do?"

"She didn't realize it until after it happened but she brushed it off until later, then she freaked out."

I laughed before I heard a knock on my door. "Hey Ino, I'll talk to you later, there's someone knocking at my door."

"Prince Sasuke has come for his princess."

"Oh shut it pig," I said.

"Love you!"

"Yeah, yeah, love you too. Goodbye."

"Bye...princess." I heard her giggle before the line went dead.

I rolled off the bed and answered the door, coming face to face with Sasuke. "Hey," I said, opening the door a little wider.

"We are going into town," he said.

"What?" I asked completely caught off-guard. We? As in me and him? Alone in town?

"All of us are going into town for dinner tonight," he explained.

"Oh," I said, calming down. The way he boldly just said we are going out sent my nerves into a dancing frenzy. I seriously thought he was asking me out.

"Your mom said to be ready by six sharp."

I glanced at the clock. 4:27 PM.

"Um, alright, thanks." I stood there feeling a bit awkward. "I guess I'll see you in a while."

"Aa," he said before turning to leave. "Dress warm," he called over his shoulder as he entered his room.

"Okay," I mumbled as his door closed behind him. I closed my door and headed straight to my closet.

Dress warm? Couldn't he have at least told me what kind of dinner it was? Formal? Casual? I have no clue what to wear. What if we somehow end up at a fancy restaurant? I don't want to be under-dressed. And what if I overdress and we end up somewhere not fancy? Gah, thanks for your help Sasuke.

Maybe I'll dress semi-formal? Semi-casual? Or somewhere along those lines. With that in mind, I shoved several articles of clothing aside, searching for the perfect outfit.

XxXxXxX

"You told her to be ready for six, right?" Mebuki asked Sasuke.

"Yes," he answered from his seat on the couch.

"Mebuki, relax, it's only 5:40," Mikoto said. "She has a good twenty minutes left. Don't rush the girl."

"I know, but it's better to be early than late right?"

XxXxXxX

"SAKURA! ARE YOU DONE YET?!"

5:46 PM. That is what my clock is telling me. I have fourteen minutes before I have to be downstairs. If I had known that she would be rushing me, I would have finished earlier.

"SAKURA!"

"I'm COMING!" I hollered, smoothening out my shirt. I watched my reflection in the mirror-black pants, green long sleeved shirt made of glittery material, light green eye shadow, black eyeliner, mascara, earrings, and the chain I received from Sasuke. I brushed my hair once again, sprayed a little perfume on, checked my reflection once again-admiring my ankle high, black high heel boots.

"Here I go," I mumbled to myself as I grabbed my cell phone and wallet and shoved them into a small black purse.

XxXxXxX

"Finally," my mother exclaimed as she looked me over before nodding in approval.

"I have like ten minutes left," I said as I stared down at the time on my cell phone screen. "And where is Sasori and Itachi?" I placed a hand on my hip, waiting for her to answer.

"They are still upstairs," she replied.

"And yet you rush me," I said before plopping down on the couch next to Sasuke.

"Well, no one would really miss those two."

"Are you kidding me mom? Me and Sasuke here," I said pointing a thumb in his direction, "are so quiet all the time that our absence would make no difference. Those two on the other hand make so much more noise than we do."

"Nonsense," my mother said. "We would know if you are not there."

Tch, yeah, because you somehow always point the spotlight in our direction.

"Enough you two," Mikoto cut in. "Let's just wait on the boys."

"Where's dad?" I questioned.

"In the kitchen."

I gave a slight nod before deciding to play a game on my phone to rid myself of boredom. Good ole Bubble Shooter to the rescue.

"You suck," Sasuke said after five minutes of watching me fail at passing the level I was on.

"I do not!" He snorted. "Let's see you pass this level," I said, shoving the phone into his hands.

"Piece of cake."

Ten minutes later...

"And yet you tell me I suck," I said taking my phone back when the word loser popped up.

"Hn."

"Can't take defeat like a man Uchiha?" I taunted.

"Tch, don't group me with a bunch of imbeciles Sakura," Sasuke replied.

"You're right. You're not turning 18 until next year so you shouldn't be placed in the men category yet," I said.

"I'm more man than them."

"That's a lot of confidence you have there," I pointed out.

"It's more than confidence," he reassured me.

"Well, would you look at that? They are bickering like a happy couple should," Sasori said coming to stand next to the couch.

"Shut it! If you didn't take so long, we wouldn't have been sitting here waiting in boredom," I stated.

"Hush, hush, children. Let's wrap ourselves up warm and head out," my grandma said, taking her coat from the closet.

XxXxXxX

"Still so cold," I mumbled once I stepped foot outside of the car. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my coat in an effort to keep them from freezing and I followed my mother into the restaurant, sighing in bliss when warmth seeped through my clothes and into my skin.

"Reservations?" A man in his thirties asked.

"Haruno," my mother said as Sasuke came to stand next to me.

"Ah, yes, right this way." He led us toward a different section of the restaurant. "I hope all of you are fine this evening," he said as we took a seat at the large table. He placed menus in front each of us.

"We are all well," Mikoto said politely.

"Would you like anything to drink while you wait?" He pulled out a small notepad and pen.

"Some of your finest wine please," Mikoto said, scanning over the menu. "Sasuke, what would you like to drink?"

"Two Piña Coladas," he stated, eyes glued to the menu.

My brows furrowed when I heard him say two, but I shrugged it off. There are just some things about Sasuke that you shouldn't question.

"That's all," Mikoto said, smiling up at the the guy.

I admit that I was confused. Were my parents actually going to let me drink wine? And in front of the Uchihas? My mother has given me wine several times, but she always said no one was to know. Psh, like the girls don't know. But for her to let me drink wine in front of them is amazing considering she wanted no one to know.

"Hello, can I take your order," a purple haired girl asked after she placed our drinks down. She was wearing the standard waitress uniform with a pen and pad in her hand.

I looked up at her and immediately I scowled. I didn't like the way she was looking at Sasuke. Not only that, she was chewing gum and popping bubbles quite rudely. She even flipped her hair and batted her eyelashes at Sasuke before winking.

For a well established restaurant to have a waitress like this is disappointing. I've watched shows in which waitresses such as her would be on the list of employees to fire.

Everyone went around the table placing their orders until the stopped on Sasuke.

"I would like the chicken ravioli," he stated before leaning over to me and placing an arm around my shoulders. He shoved one of the Piña Coladas over to me. "What would you like?" he asked.

I blinked before looking up at the girl who was glaring at me. I gave a slight smirk. "Shrimp Alfredo," I said happily, smiling as she harshly scrawled my order onto the pad.

Heh, that's right. Who's arm is around my shoulder? Sasuke! That's right bitch! In yo face! Oops, sorry I had a moment there.

When Sasuke's arm shifted from my shoulders to the back of my chair, I took a sip of my Piña Colada and caught my mother's eyes on me. She was wiggling her eyebrows suggestively and winking at me. I nearly choked on my drink, but fortunately for me no one noticed.

When the waitress exited the kitchen with our meals, Sasuke's arm was once again wound tightly around my shoulders. She glared at me as she approached the table.

"Enjoy your meal," she bit out.

As she set the plate in front of me, I became paranoid. What if she did something to my food? She could have spit in it or poisoned it. There are people like that, and this purple haired waitress could be one of those crazy bitches.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Sasuke asked softly from beside me.

"Um, I don't feel comfortable eating what she brought," I answered just as softly.

"Isn't it what you ordered?"

"It is," I replied. I was silent for a minute. "Call me paranoid but I am afraid that she might have done something to my food."

"Do you want me to get someone to change it?"

"I would hate to waste it if she didn't do anything to it."

"It's better to be safe than sorry." Sasuke waved over a nearby waiter. "She can't eat this," he stated. The waiter looked at us for an explanation. "She found a purple hair in it," Sasuke said smoothly.

"I'm so sorry," he said immediately removing the plate from in front of me. "I will be right back with a new dish."

I watched as he walked away passing the purple hair girl on his way to the kitchen. He murmured something to her and she swiftly turned to glare at me. I could picture steam coming out of her ears and nostrils. She fumed silently near the kitchen door and when the waiter that answered Sasuke's call came out with a fresh dish, she followed him straight to our table.

"You little liar," she barked, wedging herself between me and Sasori. "There was no hair in your food!" she yelled, drawing attention to the private area we were sitting in.

XxXxXxX

Normal POV

Sasori caught Sasuke's eyes and gave him this look, his eyes shifting to the waitresses hair. Sasuke gave a slight nod as the waiter tried to calm the girl down.

While the girl kept snapping at Sakura, Sasori took a strand of hair and gave it a small tug, wincing in fear that the girl might turn around. He sighed when she didn't and brought the strand close to his plate of food. He dipped his pinky finger into the creamy sauce and ran it across the strand, covering it in sauce.

XxXxXxX

Sakura's POV

"My hair was not in your food," the girl said once again.

"I saw it, that's why I told them to carry the plate back," Sasuke said from beside me.

"You're lying!" she exclaimed.

"No, I am not," Sasuke stated.

The girl was about to retort when Sasori cleared his throat, drawing all of our attention to him.

"Is this the hair Sasuke?"

"Aa."

"That's impossible! How do you even have that?!"

"She," Sasori began pointing to me, "pulled it out of her food and showed it to me before placing it on this napkin."

"I'm sorry for all the trouble," the waiter said grabbing the waitress by the arm. "We'll leave you to your meals."

I watched as the waitress was dragged through a door which said 'Employees Only'.

"The nerve of that girl!" Mebuki exclaimed.

I felt bad for causing such a scene, but if the waiter had simply kept his mouth shut then maybe we wouldn't have been caught in such a situation. Luckily, we were able to get out of it easily. As for the attention from the other people dining here, well, it still has to die down.

"Eat," Sasuke commanded softly and I nodded. So much for having a nice, _simple_ dinner.

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**There you have it! Once again I am very sorry for the late update. Hope you like it. And please review!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Thank you guys again for reading this story! And much thanks goes to those who reviewed! I'm sorry I didn't get this up quick enough. I moved back into the dorms today (the 13th) and the internet is acting stupid like the first time I came here. I can't login with my id and password. Apparently, I have to go to the library and login there and either change or keep my password and then I can get access to the internet. And they do this every semester which is stupid in my opinion. And my classes start tomorrow (the 14th) and I have none of my books because the bookstore was closed when I went. Sucky thing is, the bookstore and the cashier opens at 9 A.M. and my class is at 10 A.M. So now I have at most an hour to get everything and rush to class because I have to go back and forth from the cashier and bookstore about two times. .  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own! **

* * *

"How are the fireworks here?" Mikoto questioned as she took a seat in a plush chair on the balcony.

"They are very beautiful," my mother answered as I burrowed deeper into the thick blanket coiled around my body.

"Here," Sasuke said handing me a cup of steaming hot chocolate with two big fluffy marshmallows.

"Thanks," I said, reaching for the cup after I released my hands from my blanket cocoon. I took a sip of the piping hot liquid and winced as it slightly burned my tongue, but I sighed inaudibly at the smooth taste of the chocolate.

"Did you make this?" I asked peering up at him from behind the rim of my cup.

"Aa," he said, taking a sip of his own drink.

"It's not one of those instant hot chocolate powders?" I questioned. He shook his head no. "Well, damn, this is by far the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted!"

He smirked at me and I blushed, looking away. I looked back at him and noticed that he was staring at our parents who were chatting animatedly about something. The wind picked up and I watched as it blew his hair back and forth, and wondered if he wasn't as cold as I was.

I unwrapped part of my blanket and scooted closer to him, throwing it on him while looking away. I blushed when he tugged the blanket closer bringing me closer to him.

"Thanks," he murmured, the smell of fresh coffee coming off of him. I watched as he took another sip of coffee.

"Black?" I asked once I saw the color of the liquid in his cup.

"Aa."

"No cream and sugar?"

"Sometimes," he stated as his arm brushed against mine.

I took another sip of my hot chocolate and acted as if that small little touch was nothing.

"It's nearly time!" Mikoto exclaimed as she checked the time on her watch.

I looked up at the dark sky awaiting the fireworks. I blinked when I felt Sasuke shifting closer to me and I tried not to move, choosing rather to stare back up at the night sky and avoid thinking about the usual kissing moments that happens when the clock strikes midnight.

"5!"

"4!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

And the next thing I knew, I felt a soft pressure on the corner of my mouth and my eyes immediately darted to Sasuke to see what was going on. I only got an eyeful of his hair and I knew he was kissing me on the corner of my mouth. I was just about relieved when he pulled back slightly but then I felt him give me another quick kiss on the corner of my mouth again but this time he nibbled on my skin a bit before fully pulling back.

I watched as he immediately got up and went inside the house. I sat there dazed, absentmindedly looking at the fireworks. I didn't need a mirror to know that my face was covered in a blush that certainly rivaled Hinata's.

I was so rooted to the spot that I didn't even notice when my mother came up to me and took my cup of half finished hot-now most likely cold- chocolate out of my hands. It was only when she pulled me out of my seat and starting dancing around did I shake myself out of my stupor.

"It's the New Year! Come on celebrate!" my mother happily exclaimed taking my hands and pulling me around.

I stayed outside for about twenty more minutes before I walked inside, heading straight to my room. Just the thought of possibly bumping into Sasuke, had my heart hammering and my nerves jumping. I still cannot wrap my mind around what he did. I mean, I know he did it, I felt he did it, but my brain is just taking a long time to comprehend it. It's just one of those moments where you go what the hell just happened.

As I got closer to my bedroom, I looked over to make sure Sasuke's door was closed. I sighed out, relieved, before tip-toeing to my room. After successfully shutting my door, I jumped face first into my bed, burying my face in the pillow.

I have no idea how I am going to face him tomorrow. Hell, tomorrow-technically today- is the day we leave and there is no way of avoiding him. Aw shit, I could just imagine those black orbs following my every move. I shuddered at the thought.

Sleep, please, please please come!

XxXxXxX

Normal POV

"I can't believe you guys missed it!" Sasori called out to his mother and Mikoto.

"Missed what?" Mebuki asked, turning to face her son.

"This," he said, gesturing to the phone he held in his hand. "Just watch," he commanded, showing them the video.

After five minutes of silence...

"He kissed her!" Mebuki exclaimed.

"Look closer," Sasori stated, playing the video again.

"Wuss," Mikoto sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Remember how long it took Fugaku to kiss you?" Mebuki happily asked.

"Forever," Mikoto stated.

Mebuki laughed. "Sasuke is definitely his father's son."

"Hmmm..." Mikoto trailed off, her mind somewhere else completely.

XxXxXxX

Sakura's POV

"Wake up sleepy head!" my mother happily sang, waltzing into the room. "It's time to pack and get ready to go."

I pouted and rolled over, covering my face with the pillow. "Five more minutes."

"No can do," she sang, her voice getting closer. She pulled the pillow away from me. "Wakey wakey."

I growled slightly and turned away not caring that I didn't have a pillow. I didn't need a pillow to fall back asleep.

"Have it your way," she said and I cracked an eyelid open to see her walking towards the door. "I'll just send Sasuke in here in five minutes to wake you up."

My eyes shot open and I sat up from the bed. "I'm up! I'm up!" I exclaimed, tumbling out of my bed in my haste.

I ran into the bathroom and turned on the faucet before grabbing my toothbrush.

XxXxXxX

"That was so not cool," I mumbled as I threw my bags into the vehicle.

"Got you up didn't I?" my mother asked, smiling way too bright for my liking.

I huffed slightly and turned away only to see Sasuke coming out of the house with his stuff. I quickly turned back around and braced myself for an awkward meeting that surprisingly never came.

"Everyone's packed?" my dad asked. All of us nodded. "well, let's head out!"

"Itachi, I missed you! You get to come with us!" I watched as Sasuke and Itachi's grandmother pulled Itachi toward the vehicle she, her husband, Mikoto, and Fugaku came in.

"Oh dear, but now Sasuke has to drive back by himself," Mikoto said.

"Not to worry!" my mother exclaimed. "Sakura could go with him!"

Blink, blink. My momma say what now?!

"Go on dear," my mother said pushing me towards him.

"Uh, are you sure?" I asked, begging at her with my eyes to not let me get into that car with Sasuke.

"Of course I am!"

Well, dammit.

"We'll head out first then," my dad said, climbing into his vehicle. I mentally sniffed. TAKE ME WITH YOU!

"You guys follow behind," Mikoto said as she got into the car.

I sat down and hugged my sweater closer to me because the place was way too cold. As Fugaku drove off, Mikoto winked at me.

"Cold?" Sasuke asked.

"Um, yeah," I said, glancing at him. He turned up the heat and soon we were off.

Several hours later...

I woke up from my nap and noticed that we were finally reaching Konoha by nightfall. I can't wait for a hot shower and some food. Hell, I would totally scarf down some instant ramen right now. Actually, ramen sounds really good right now.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Sasuke pulled up in front of my house.

"Thanks," I said, turning to him.

"Aa," he said just as I took a quick glance at his lips.

Must not blush at what happened. "See you in school."

"Aa," he said right before I closed the door.

I walked up the driveway as he pulled off.

"Sooooo how was the drive?" my mom asked, smiling at me.

Facepalm. I so need that shower and some food right now.

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**Hope this chapter was to your liking. I will be working on more. In fact, Imma start the next one right now. Please review, I would love to know what you think. **


	38. Chapter 38

**Hello lovelies! Here is another chapter. I apologize for the lateness. Just when I got the internet, they decided to "work" on it and I didn't have any. And the sucky thing is my English and Science homework or assignments would be posted online and I have no idea if my phone would be able to receive any of the assignments. But I am so happy now that it is back. **

**Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto. **

* * *

I sighed tiredly as I stared down at my homework. Hinata, Sasuke, and I were currently at Naruto's house doing homework ON. . Why? Because the idiot-as loveable as he may be-begged Sasuke and I to help him and he promised to treat us to ramen. Now ramen isn't a big deal, but having _Naruto treat us_ to ramen is a big deal.

"Hinata, I'm thirsty," Naruto whined. "Can you please get me something to drink?"

"You have hands and feet, do it yourself," I stated.

"But Sakura," Naruto protested.

"It's fine," Hinata said, motioning for me to come along.

I grabbed the opportunity to move away from Sasuke and followed her into the kitchen.

Ever since we got back I've been feeling his eyes on me even more than usual. I even squeaked when he approached me today! That was totally not cool. Tenten had to pretend she did something to make me squeak-like poking me hard on my side. And she did it when Sasuke was around so he could see that she caused me to squeak.

I shook my head slightly as I leaned on the kitchen counter. "Thanks for getting me out of there. I needed a breather."

"No problem," Hinata said softly. She showed me a big smile and I smiled back.

With Sasuke and Naruto...

"So?" Naruto asked scooting across the carpet to sit next to Sasuke. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question.

"Tell me what happened when you guys went to Sakura's grandparents for Christmas!"

"Shut your mouth idiot," Sasuke hissed, hoping that Sakura didn't hear anything that Naruto said.

"So?" Naruto asked again.

"So," Sasuke repeated.

"Did you kiss her?"

"Hn."

"Is that a yes?"

"Hn."

"Then a no?"

"Hn."

"Dude, what the hell?"

"I did kiss her..."

"Yea-"

"On the corner of her mouth."

"Dude, what the hell? You should have just kissed her man. I'm giving you the green light. Green means go!" Naruto took Sasuke by the shoulders and shook him slightly. "Just kiss her man. Do I have to go all Lil Mermaid on you and start singing that song?! Cus' I will!"

"Shut it dobe," Sasuke said, throwing Naruto's arms off of him.

Meanwhile...

"Hinata, every time I think about Christmas vacation, I start to blush. Gah, since when do I blush like that! I mean, you should have seen me on New Years! I was as red as you! No! Probably redder, like a tomato! No what's redder than a tomato?"

"Sakura, breathe. In, out, in, out."

"But Hinata, he almost kissed me! And I was stuck in a bathroom with him with only a robe on. OH MY FISHCAKES! I was naked and only in a bath robe!"

"Sakura..."

"And he gave me a shoulder hickey! A SHOULDER HICKEY!"

"I'm sorry I have to do this, but," and the next thing I knew my face was being sprayed with cold water.

"Thanks," I muttered, grabbing a paper towel.

"Now, did you want him to kiss you?"

I blushed. "Yes," I squeaked.

"You do know it might be more awkward if he did right?"

I nodded.

"But you still wanted him to?"

I nodded again.

"Well then, just welcome the awkwardness."

"Just welcome the awkwardness? Really?"

She just shrugged at me. "I poured Sasuke a glass of water and your giving it to him." She handed me the glass and pushed me forward to get me walking. "Just go," she said when I hesitated.

I walked into the living room to see Naruto copying my homework. "What are you doing?" I asked, one hand on my hip as I tapped my foot while looking down at him.

"Nothing," he said nervously before crawling away from my spot to sit on the other side of Sasuke.

"Here," I said, handing Sasuke the glass.

"Thanks," he mumbled, his fingers brushing against mine as he grasped the glass.

I ignored the electric current rippling through my body and suppressed my blush. I took my seat next to him and immediately started working on math problems.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke's POV

She's cute when she bites her lip like that.

"Hey man, what's the answer to number 22?" I shifted my eyes to the Dobe, noticing his big smile and wiggling eyebrows.

"Hn."

"I know you were staring at Sakura," he whispered.

"..."

"Just gimme the answer to number 22!"

I allowed him to look down at my piece of paper.

"Thanks man, you're a real pal! And remember green light."

XxXxXxX

Sakura's POV

Half hour later...

"Yes, finished!" Naruto exclaimed throwing his hands up in the air and hitting Sasuke in the process.

"Dobe," Sasuke hissed, holding his chin.

"Eheheheh, sorry?" Naruto nervously said.

"You idiot," I stated as I got up and walked to the other side of Sasuke. I hit Naruto on the back of his head before telling him to move away so that I could inspect the damage done to Sasuke.

"Let me see," I said, grabbing Sasuke's hand and gently pulling it away from where it was. "Good news: no bruise will be left; bad news: it's starting to swell." I stood up and stretched out my hand so he could grab it. "Let's go get some ice on that."

Sasuke didn't need any help getting up from his position on the carpet, but he took a hold of my hand anyway and that made me happy-like marshmallowy happy. My stomach felt as if it were doing flips. I couldn't stop the big smile from blooming on my face.

"C'mon," I said leading him to the kitchen. I didn't even bother waiting for him to remove his hand from mine. I just dragged him along with me.

Once there, I grabbed a bag of frozen peas from the freezer and turned around to press the object to his face. He winced slightly and allowed me to hold the frozen peas against his face.

"I apologize for Naruto's stupidity," I said, breaking the silence.

"Aa," he answered.

I pulled the frozen bag away and looked at the red spot on his chin. I gently touched it and felt how swollen it was. I only rested the peas back on the area for a couple of seconds before Sasuke pulled it away and set it on the counter, his eyes staying locked with mine and his hand still holding mine.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke's POV

I couldn't take it anymore. The fire that I saw burning in her eyes as she looked over my chin, the warm, gentle touch of her fingers on my skin, the faint smell of vanilla, cherry blossoms, and cinnamon. I felt as if I were intoxicated. I can't get enough of her.

XxXxXxX

Sakura's POV

I saw sparks in his eyes-wild, untamed, chaotic, rhythmic sparks. The way he looked at me sent electric currents through my body and I was powerless to do anything except stand there, staring back at him. The hand that was holding the frozen peas was now being held in the hand he used to move the peas to the counter just a minute before.

_Just welcome the awkwardness_

Hinata's words rang in my head as soon as Sasuke's other hand went behind my neck. I swallowed thickly; awkwardness here I come. Sasuke pulled me closer, his hand placing mine on his chest before making its way to my waist.

Embrace the awkwardness, embrace the awkwardness, embrace the awkwardness. I kept repeating this as I felt Sasuke's breath fanning over my lips. His lips were mere centimeters from mine and instead of feeling mostly nervous, I felt impatient. I wanted him to kiss me, I wanted to feel his lips on mine.

Before I might have been nervous about everything, but that's natural, right? But right now I really don't care. I just want to feel his lips on mine. The electricity pulsing through my veins made me excited, my nervousness was on the backburner. There was nothing else that mattered at this moment other than me and him.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke's POV

From the way her eyes burned, I knew that she was feeling exactly what I was feeling. She wanted this as much as I wanted it right now. And this time there really is nothing in our way to stop us from this.

It was when her fingers tangled through my hair that I closed the remaining distance between us.

XxXxXxX

Sakura's POV

His lips were soft and smooth-it's more than what I ever imagined it to feel like. I didn't care if we just had lip-to-lip contact. Everything felt amazing-his arm wrapped tightly around my waist, his other hand now tangled in my hair. All the things that I was feeling before seem to explode all together and the only thing I could focus on was Sasuke.

The silkiness of his hair, the hard planes of his chest, the kiss-the simple, sweet, innocent kiss that sent my world spinning.

XxXxXxX

"Hell yeah! He's going through that green light this time!" Naruto exclaimed as softly as he could as he peeked into the kitchen. Who would have ever thought that his best friends would be hooking up in his kitchen of all places.

He turned around to see Hinata giggling. "Come here and give me some sugar," he said wiggling his eyebrows.

Hinata blushed and Naruto took great delight in watching the girl fumble for words. He loved the way her blush was slowly getting darker, the longer he continued to look at her. "You're so cute," he whispered as he walked up to her, taking her in his arms. He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck and placed a kiss there, smiling to himself when he felt her face heat up even more. Releasing her, he made his way back to his place by the wall to peek at his two best friends still locking lips.

XxXxXxX

Sakura's POV

When I felt Sasuke nibbling on my lips lightly, I made a small noise. The next thing I knew, my back was pressed up against the refrigerator and his tongue was running along my lips. I gasped slightly and I felt his tongue sliding quickly into my mouth.

The temperature in the kitchen suddenly went up a couple of degrees and my heart felt like it was running a marathon. The way his tongue slid across my own, had me holding onto him for dear life. I felt as if my legs were about to give out at any moment.

When he finally pulled back, I blink open my eyes in a daze. "Wow," I breathed out softly before looking up to see him smirking down at me, sparks still alight in his eyes.

XxXxXxX

Normal POV

_'I guess having to sit through those romantic movies with my mother taught me something,' _Sasuke thought as he stared down at Sakura, smirking at her. He glanced at her swollen lips and his smirk widened in satisfaction.

"That was one hell of a first kiss for the both of you," Naruto happily stated, walking into the room, a big, goofy smile on his face.

Sakura snapped out of her daze and narrowed her eyes at Naruto. "You were watching us?" she questioned.

"Anyway," Naruto began already backing out of the room. "I'm gonna go find Hinata." The mischievous smile on his face was big as he walked out of the room.

_'That was one hell of a kiss for the both of you.'_ Naruto's words finally registered in Sakura's mind and she blushed. She never would have imagined that a first kiss would be like that. But everything aside, she was now confused as to what was going to happen between Sasuke and her.

She looked up at Sasuke again and noticed that the sparks in his eyes were more controlled now. She was about to open her mouth to question him about what was to happen now, but he grabbed her hand and led her out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the game room.

He took a seat on the couch in front of the big plasma television and motioned for her to do the same. She shyly did and waited for him to speak.

"I like you," he finally said after five minutes of continued silence. Sakura's head whipped up to look at him. She was about to speak, but he silenced her, wanting to finish what he was saying. "For a while now, but I guess I really shouldn't call it like with the way I am feeling."

"What do you mean?" the pinkette asked slightly confused.

"It means that I more than like you," he answered.

_'If he more than likes me, does that mean that he-'_

"L-l-love?" I stuttered out.

"Aa," he said. Maybe it was everything that was pulsing through his veins that gave him the courage to finally admit it to her out loud. But whatever it was, he was grateful. For years he danced around the subject, fully aware of his feelings, but not once did he make a move.

His dark orbs finally settled on her and Sakura blushed, looking away. She had been waiting for something like this for forever. The chance to finally hear the words that she longed to hear, to hear her feelings and his were the same.

Mustering whatever courage she could find, she looked him straight in the eye and ignored the shivers she felt and the sparks she saw. It was time for her to confess. "I love you too," she said her voice squeaking at the ending.

She looked away from him, feeling the blush already covering her face. She felt his fingers turning her head slowly back to him and the pink on her face turned into red.

"Sakura Haruno," Sasuke began, "would you be my girlfriend."

The red hue disappeared from her face and she nodded ecstatically. "Yes!" she exclaimed, happy beyond belief.

"Good," he said before leaning over and catching her lips in another kiss.

* * *

**Well, here ya go! I hope it is to your liking. And there are more chapters to come. Please review and let me know what you think! Also here is a little of what a couple of my days looked like:**

**1/14**

**So I managed to get all my books with fifteen minutes to get to class this morning. I would have been done with everything faster, but people took their good old time doing things. On top of that I had to search for my books that I needed in the textbook room so I had to search the labels for the books. And then I had to ask if there is any science books and the lady I asked finally told me after like five minutes that there is no text for that course. Then the line to check out my stuff took forever. I kept watching the clock.**

**1/15**

**So this morning the fire alarm went off at 6 A.M. and I mean that's fine for people that had 8 A.M. classes because they needed to be up, but my class wasn't until 10 and I would have liked to sleep more. In fact, they don't know what triggered the alarm because it wasn't pulled in the dorm area. And the alarm is connected to the cafeteria. Why have the dorm and cafeteria fire alarm connected I have no clue. And the security guards took a whole 15 minutes to come and check out the problem and not only that THEY WERE DRIVING ON A GOLF CART. HOW THE HELL CAN YOU TAKE 15 MINUTES WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING ON A GOLF CART?! I mean I walk from my dorm to my classes in about 5 minutes. So how in the world from the time they heard the alarm can they take so long DRIVING ON A GOLF CART. I mean seriously. **


	39. Chapter 39

**I apologize so much for being so late with this chapter. But anyway, other than my lateness due to my homework and midterms, this story reached over 500 reviews! I'm so happy! Thank you guys so very much! I am happy that you all loved the last chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own. **

* * *

After Sasuke kissed me for the second time on Friday night, Naruto just had to pop into the room and ruin things. I mean, really, it was going so well. I got two kisses from Sasuke, was told by Sasuke that he loved me, and was asked to be his girlfriend.

But of course, Naruto just had to appear. I didn't feel sorry when the television's remote hit him square in the face and left a mark-yes, it was my handiwork. It was then, after I hit him, that Sasuke decided it was getting late and that I should get home. Naruto, of course, complained about not getting help with the rest of his homework, but a glare both from Sasuke and I shut him up immediately.

And did I mention the goodnight kiss I had? That was one hell of a kiss we had on my doorstep. In fact, I still get goosebumps remembering how his lips felt against mine, his tongue dancing with my tongue, his hands on my waist and in my hair.

But little did I know that mommy dearest was watching us from the window. Questions started flying everywhere as soon as I entered the house. Hell, she even followed me around for half an hour, asking about how it happened, when it happened, and why the hell I didn't tell her.

Ten minutes more of her badgering and I told her the story. What my mother did next made her look and act like a total teenage girl. I followed her out of my room as she raced downstairs, grabbed the phone, jumped down on the couch, dialed Mikoto, and squealed the whole story out to her.

I shook my head at her before retreating to my room for the night.

XxXxXxX

"Sakura," my mother sang while waltzing into my room.

"What?" I mumbled into my pillow, wishing that the weekend could be longer.

"It's Monday morning! Time for school."

"You say that like Monday is the most awesomest day ever."

"Well, it would be if you haul your ass off your bed and get ready before Sasuke picks you up for school."

My head shot up from my pillow. "He's picking me up today?"

"Ya, I would have told you last night but you were already sleeping."

"Dammit," I mumbled as I tried to disentangle myself from my blanket before tripping over my feet on the way to the bathroom.

Monday mornings, aren't they just great?

XxXxXxX

"Good morning," I said once I opened the car door.

Sasuke smirked back at me and murmured a soft good morning before leaning over and placing a kiss on my cheek. I blushed at his gesture as he pulled back, turning the key to start the car. The nice pink tint stayed present on my face all the way to school.

In fact, the pink tint on my cheeks grew a shade darker when Sasuke got out of the car and came around to my side of the vehicle to open the door for me.

"Thank you," I mumbled as he closed the door behind me.

"Aa," he said, smirking at me as we approached the school doors.

"I'll see you in class," he said as he walked me to my locker.

"Ok," I said. His face got closer to mine and I held up a hand in front of his chest to stop him from coming any closer. "Not where people can see us," I whispered nervously.

Who knows how some people would react to the news. I might have to walk around with a taser to keep the wild beasts-fangirls-away.

"Fine," he said pouting slightly.

He is just so irresistible when he does that. I looked around and saw no one in the hallway except for one of the mathletes who took a corner into another corridor.

"Come here you," I said, pulling him close before placing a quick kiss on his lips. He was about to dive in and steal my breath away before I stopped him. "Later," I promised.

"Aa," he said stealing a kiss before walking to his locker.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke's POV

I can touch her when I want, I can kiss her when I want, hell, I could bite her all I want (heh hickeys). Damn, life is good.

XxXxXxX

Sakura's POV

"The race is underway," Ino announced. "As we can see there are two teams facing off. Sakura and Sasuke on the right and Tenten and Neji beside them. Who will claim ultimate victory? Let's tally up the scores so far. Sakura and her partner pulls ahead from their score of Sakura receiving a hickey! But wait Tenten and her partner are catching up from the one incident in the dojo. But no! What's this?! Sakura is in the lead again for being locked in a bathroom with Sasuke, but Tenten is closing in on her. It's anyone's game as both teams are neck-to-neck in this race, heading to the finish line!"

I looked at the blond as she spoke into her soup spoon, one of her hands gesturing wildly to whatever she was trying to point out as she walked around the lunch table outside of the cafeteria. I mentally shook my head at her. If only she knew that I already won the race that she has so vividly imagined.

"Um," Hinata said, cutting in to whatever else the blond was saying.

"Yes Hinata?" Ino questioned with the spoon still held up to her mouth.

I looked at Hinata, waiting for her to continue, but she looked up at me, caught my eyes, shook her head, and mumbled out "It's nothing," before going back to eating.

I understood what she wanted to say immediately. She was going to stop the blond from rambling and say that Sasuke and I was already together, but she stopped, knowing it wasn't her place to say anything at all.

"I think what Hinata was trying to say was that I already won the race," I stated before popping a cherry into my mouth.

"WHAT?!"

"Geez Ino, do you want me to go deaf?" I rubbed my ears gently.

"What do you mean you won the race?!"

Well, the cat's out of the bag now. "Sasuke and I are together."

"Wah?" Tenten asked, mouth open slightly.

"As in boyfriend and girlfriend?" I nodded in confirmation at Ino's question and she gasped.

"Since when?" she demanded.

"Friday at Naruto's house."

"And you didn't tell me bitch?" She threw her hands up in the air in disbelief.

"I was going to," I said.

"But?" Ino questioned, hands on her hips.

"I didn't want any headaches."

"Headaches?! You think I would give you a headache?!

"You are right now."

"Gah! I can't believe this! One of the single most important things happened and you didn't even bother to tell me!"

"Congratulations! You two lovebirds are finally together," a familiar voice said as an arm was slung lazily around my shoulders.

"Wah?" I asked confusedly as I looked at Suigetsu.

"You might want to buy a muzzle for blondie there," he said, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the blonde who was ranting the poor life out of Hinata.

"Maybe Kiba has one," I muttered, wishing the blond would keep her trap shut.

"You're just lucky I'm the one that overheard and not anyone else," he said.

"Mhmm," I said.

"Anyway, I think I should be going." I turned to look at him. "Your boyfriend is glaring at me," he answered.

I looked behind him and saw Sasuke walking towards us, his eyes focused on Suigetsu. "I guess you should," I said before saying goodbye.

"What was that all about?" Sasuke asked taking Suigetsu's spot.

"What? Are you jealous?" I teased.

He growled slightly at me and his eyes penetrated mine. "Relax. Suigetsu was just saying hello and warning me to keep that blond big mouth over there quiet or else everyone would know we are together in an hour."

Sasuke stopped his growling but still sat there with a slight pout on his face.

"I told you, relax. Suigetsu is like Naruto-just a brother figure in my life. There's no need for you to be jealous."

"I can't help it," he muttered.

"I know, I know. Uchihas are very possessive anyway. And I kinda like it."

"Aa," he said, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Now is there any way you could maybe get me another chocolate chip cookie?" I asked.

"Oi, Sasuke! Why didn't you tell me?!" Ino yelled, interrupting Sasuke and I and drawing attention to our table.

"Aa," Sasuke answered me, completely ignoring the blond.

"Hey, chicken butt! I asked you a question."

By now all the students were ignoring Ino and her random outbursts-thank God.

"Hn."

"Gah! I give up!" she snapped, throwing her hands up in the air. She slumped down into the space next to me and picked at her food.

"What's up homies?" Naruto asked, approaching the group. He plopped down in the seat across from Sasuke.

"It's all good," I replied before a chocolate chip cookie wrapped in plastic wrap was shoved in my face.

"Thanks," I said to Sasuke while reaching for the cookie.

"Aa," he answered.

"TEME! That was my cookie! You damn chicken butt!"

Sasuke just smirked in return and told me to eat the cookie-which I did after Hinata gave Naruto hers. Isn't she sweet?

XxXxXxX

Normal POV

"Did you hear Ino-san during lunch today?" one of the freshmen girls asked.

"You mean when she was talking about Sasuke-san and Sakura-san being together?" her friend asked as they passed Karin.

"Mhmm."

"Sasuke-san and Sakura-san make such a cute couple."

"I totally agree!" her friend nodded as they climbed the stairs.

A nasty scowl appeared on Karin's face and she made her way to the classroom to get her things. Sasuke and Sakura? Together? Bullshit. Those newbie freshmen girls didn't know shit. She would be best for Sasuke. He was popular, she was popular. His dad own a _big_ company, her dad owned _a_ company. He was good looking, she was good looking.

She grabbed her things and paused in front of the window facing the parking lot. Her eyes narrowed considerably as she saw Sasuke and Sakura in the parking lot. She watched as he made Sakura laugh before cornering her against his car.

The pencil Karin clenched in her hand snapped in two. She just didn't understand it. She should be feeling something right now. She should be feeling angry, jealous, but instead she was angry at herself for not being able to feel anything at all. Didn't she like him?

_"Tch. Of course I do,"_ she thought to herself.

She walked out the classroom still fuming, not at the situation but at herself.

* * *

**So sorry once again for the lateness. So someone asked about me writing well smut and such things in this. I'm sorry to say that I do not write smut, lemons or anything like that. I hope you do understand that it is my choice to do so and I just am not really a person who writes those things. **

**On another note, this story seems like it might be coming to an ending. I am not saying how many more chapters left because I, myself, do not know how many chapters it will take to finish. Also, I seem to have two story ideas jumping around in my head. One for a SasuSaku fic and another for a NejiTen fic with minor pairings. I hope all of you would stay and read them once this story is complete.**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hey! Love the feedback. There's not much that I am gonna say for right now, but at the end of the chapter I might mention some things so make sure you read!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own. **

* * *

**Normal POV**

"Why don't you take her out on a date?"

"Mother," Sasuke sighed. "She's coming over to watch a movie with me."

"You should be more romantic," Mikoto huffed.

Sasuke groaned slightly.

"Are you going to watch romantic movies? You can borrow some of mine."

"Mom."

"Don't use that tone with me mister! And girls love romantic movies!"

XxXxXxX

**Sakura's POV**

"So remember: scary movies are a good opportunity to cuddle."

"Why the hell are you telling me this?" I asked as Sasori pocketed the keys to the house.

"In case you guys watch a scary movie. Duh!"

I may never understand the workings of my brother's mind.

XxXxXxX

**Normal POV**

"Since you're gonna be watching romance, you should definitely tweak the thermostat a little bit. Make it a little bit colder, ya feel me?"

Sasuke looked at Itachi like he was on the verge of going crazy.

"What is with everyone today?" Sasuke muttered to himself as he grabbed a clean blanket from his room.

"And make sure you have snacks. Like chocolate or something," Itachi stated as he followed Sasuke downstairs. "And don't forget this is a romantic movie, act kinda romantic. Get in the mood."

Sasuke ignored Itachi as much as he could, but the older boy kept throwing out suggestions left and right.

"Would you please tell your son to shut the hell up," Sasuke said as he saw his mother and a pile of DVDs waiting in the living room.

"Sasuke!" His mother chastised. "You shouldn't talk like that about your brother."

"Maybe you could hold her hand and then place a kiss on each of her knuckles."

"Would you two just scram? She's gonna be here soon."

XxXxXxX

**Sakura's POV**

"And if he plays with your hair that means that he wants your attention. He wants to see the effect it has on you."

When will this car ride be over?

"And..."

"Look, I don't need any pointers right now, seeing as I am in a relationship that is doing well. You, on the other hand, might."

"Ouch."

"Look, we're like ten minutes away. Can we please stop talking about what might happen in between scenes of the movie?"

"Fine."

...

...

...

"Remember, any movie can set a romantic mood," Sasori said as I got out of the car.

"Shut up," I replied, closing the door before walking up the pathway to the door.

Breathe in, breathe out. Calm down; there's no need to be nervous. Gah, do I even look okay? Ok, I need to really calm down and shut the hell up.

I knocked on the door and waited only a couple of seconds before Sasuke appeared in front of me with a welcoming smile.

"Hi!"

"Hello," he murmured as he let me inside.

As I walked passed him, my nose caught the most wondrous scent ever. I couldn't even describe it. The only word s that popped into my head were sexy and delicious. Hell, I only now see what he is wearing which only adds to my current thought of sexy.

Black vest, faded black jeans, black sneakers, and did I mention that his hair was tousled in the most sexiest of ways?

I probably look less appealing, wearing a red-tight-shirt, black sneakers, and black cargo pants-they were really cute and Ino and Tenten kept telling me to buy it. At least my hair is okay.

XxXxXxX

**Normal POV**

If Sakura thought she looked unappealing, then Sasuke's thoughts were very different from hers. His eyes roamed over her twice, if not, then more, taking in her appearance.

XxXxXxX

**Sasuke's POV**

Simply yet sexy.

"C'mon," I said, placing my hand at the small of her back and leading her to the living room.

Wisps of bubblegum colored hair tickled my chin at the close distance between us, and I took a second to bury my nose in her hair before kissing the top of her head. The light fragrance of her perfume paired with her scent drove me crazy and my hand went from on the small of her back to gripping her hip.

XxXxXxX

**Sakura's POV**

I felt when he buried his nose in my hair. The action felt comforting and was much welcomed, and the kiss to my head had butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. When his hand shifted to my hip, I began remembering Sasori's little tips and pointers.

"So what are we watching?" I asked, turning to face him.

"Take your pick," he said to me, pointing to a stack of movies sitting neatly on the coffee table.

I picked up the stack and began reading the titles. "All of these are romance movies," I stated.

"Aa, my mother specifically selected them."

My mouth formed a small 'o' and I handed him the third movie in the pile before taking a seat on the large couch and admiring the way the muscles in his arms flexed as he moved. When he plopped down next to me, his left arm snaked around my shoulders and his right was holding the remote for the DVD player.

I inwardly shivered and realized that the temperature was colder than I expected it to be. As Sasuke skipped the previews, I snuggled slightly into a comfortable position, absorbing his warmth.

XxXxXxX

**Sasuke's POV**

Itachi, I might give you a 'what the fuck is up with you' look all the time, but your idea is genius.

XxXxXxX

**Normal POV**

"Cold?" Sasuke asked, his warm breath fanning Sakura's ear. His nose skimmed the outer shell of Sakura's ear, stopping at a spot right below her ear. He placed a kiss there before his nose lightly brushed against her cheek. A kiss was placed there and Sakura shuddered slightly.

She nodded at his earlier question and he grabbed the blanket, draping it on top of the both of them.

_"A small action can start a romantic mood."_

_"Any movie can set a romantic mood."_

Sasori's words played over in Sakura's head as Sasuke's arms wound around her waist.

Having the sudden urge to kiss him, Sakura snuggled deeper into his side and peeked upwards, watching as his eyes focused on the menu screen of the movie. Gathering up some courage, she placed a kiss on his jaw before placing another one on his cheek.

Sasuke's eyes shifted to look at her and he watched as she stared back at him.

"You know, I haven't given you a proper hello yet," he murmured, face inching closer to hers.

"Hmmm, really?" she questioned before his lips descended on hers.

The two broke apart when the previews started rolling again. Sasuke grabbed the remote and skipped ahead as much as he could before pressing play.

XxXxXxX

"Oh my gosh," Sakura gasped as she stared at the screen unbelievingly. Her hand was just inches away from her mouth, holding warm popcorn. "She did not!" she exclaimed watching as the supposed-to-be best friend lock the girl in the room before going on the date with the guy. "That's just messed up."

"Aa," Sasuke said as his fingers played with a lock of pink hair.

_"What are you doing here?"_

_"Midori sent me. She told me she couldn't make and that she would feel bad if she just left you here."_

Sakura stared at the screen, mouth agape. She didn't even notice when Sasuke moved her hand to his mouth and eat the popcorn that she was holding. It was only when his tongue brushed against her fingers did she shiver and settle back into his side.

XxXxXxX

"Tonight was nice," Sakura said as Sasuke parked in front her house.

"Aa."

"We should do it again," she said, smiling up at him. "Goodnight," she said leaning closer to peck him on the lips.

Sasuke, however, tangled his hand in her hair once their lips touched and brought her face closer to his. "Goodnight," he murmured once he released her lips.

He watched as she unlocked the door before she turned to wave at him.

XxXxXxX

**Sakura's POV**

I enjoyed tonight. Surprisingly, there were no interruptions from anyone. I honestly had expected Mikoto to pop into the room at one point, but she didn't.

With a smile on my face I turned the doorknob and walked inside, only to stop short, the smile on my face disappearing.

"...What's this?" I asked as I stared at the luggage on the floor.

"I'm sorry sweety, but we are flying out tonight. The company called just a few hours ago saying that we have to be on the next plane to Oto for a business meeting. From there, we are to go to Suna and Amegakure."

"How long will you be gone?" I asked, my voice sounding almost dead to me.

"Two weeks at most."

No matter how short a time they stay at home, they always have to fly out for business. It's like they are never truly around .

"Alright," I said, muttering goodnight to them. I walked around the luggage and made my way up to my room.

Guess it's business as usual.

XxXxXxX

**Sasuke's POV**

I feel like I look like a fool with this big smirk on my face, but I can't help it. My girl-yes, _my girl_-and me had some peaceful alone time and I honestly wouldn't ask for anything else at this moment.

The loud vibration of my phone against the nightstand interrupted my thoughts and I looked at the caller's name, my smirk disappearing.

"Tell me you found something Shisui."

"We still haven't."

"Dammit."

"Look, we'll be on the lookout. I'll have my men check every vehicle again, and the best time to do that is at night so as not to raise suspicion."

I sighed.

"Just let me know anything."

"Everything is gonna be fine."

"Aa." Somehow, that doesn't sound reassuring.

* * *

**:) I love you guys! So here's the thing, I am thinking about writing the two stories at the same time once I finish this one that way any new idea I get I just put it to paper before I forget. **

**Also, some good news and bad (well may be bad for you). The SasuSaku fic will have a M rating for reasons, but it will not have any lemons (I don't write them. Don't kill me). Other than that, everything is all good. I am coming down to the end of the semester. Just a month left to go, but I did sign up for summer classes so that I would jump ahead by some credits. **

**Anyway, review please! **


	41. Chapter 41

**Thanks for the reviews! I don't have much to say at the moment.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

_"Karin's not in school,"_ Ino's note said.

Strange...it's weird that she isn't here. Usually she wants to make my life hell.

_"Maybe that's why her croonies seem more confused today," _I scrawled before throwing the note over to her.

The math teacher's back was facing us as he wrote problems on the board, half of them illegible.

_"You're telling me! I saw them bumping into each other in the hallway this morning trying to figure out which way to go."_

I slid the paper under half of my notebook as I began writing. _"Apparently they can't function without her."_

_"You'd think they would have their own lives."_

_"More like they are trying to destroy ours."_

_"Ah, the drama that is high-school!"_

_"Thank goodness we have a couple more months before we graduate!"_

_"Omg! I can't wait! Summer here we come!" _

I stuffed the note into my bag as the bell rang.

"Thank God that class is over!" Ino exclaimed falling in step with me.

I laughed. "Not like you were going to die pig."

"I felt like it! I still can't believe we are doing this class over as an elective."

"Well, this was the only good option left."

Ino sighed. "Just a few more months," she sighed.

"Let's just try to get through the rest of the day first."

"Actually, I don't want the end of the day to come yet. I am waiting for English."

"Since when are you so happy to go to class?"

"Since you and Sasuke got together. English is the time I take to watch you guys. I wanna see what happens."

"Creepy much?"

"Noooo, you're just my source of romantic television during the day."

"Watch your own love life pig."

"But that's no fun Forehead!"

"Whatever you say," I said ending the conversation.

XxXxXxX

"Thanks!" I happily said to Sasuke when we stopped in front of the door to my house.

"Aa," he said.

"So I guess I'll talk to you later?" I questioned, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet.

He nodded and kissed me goodbye, smirking when he pulled back and saw my blush.

"Stop it!" I said, blushing harder before pushing him towards his car.

"It's cutewhen you blush," he said, pulling me towards him before kissing me again. "See you tomorrow?"

I nodded.

XxXxXxX

"It's the weekend! I love the weekend! It's so nice to me!" I exclaimed while frying some bacon to go along with the eggs and waffles for breakfast.

"Weirdo," Sasori stated as he opened the fridge to retrieve the orange juice.

"Like you're not?"

"I'm not."

"Please! You wish."

"Gimme food," he said changing the topic.

"Why don't you make your own damn food?" I asked turning around, hands on my hips.

"Because my nice little sister is making it."

"Just go watch TV or something."

"M'kay," he said already half-way out the kitchen.

After breakfast I washed up the dishes and decided to check the mail even though I know there would be nothing for me. But it's not like the mailbox is that far away. It's in front my house.

"Hey, I'll be back. I'm gonna go check if we got any mail."

"Throw out any letter from fangirls."

"You have fangirls? You're funny."

"It could happen."

I pocketed my cell phone and skipped all the way to the mailbox. Let's see...bills, bills, bills, a letter from grandma, bills.

"So many damn bills," I said looking up just in time to see two guys coming out of the black Escalade I saw on Halloween. My heart jumped and started racing as my eyes followed the strangers movements. I dropped all the envelopes and immediately looked back at the house, checking how far away it was.

"We finally figured out where you lived girl."

I backed up as I looked at the men who already had me surrounded from both sides. I felt rooted to the spot, my legs shaking. I was suffering from shock. It was as if a baseball came out of nowhere and hit me. I couldn't believe what was happening.

I snapped out of my thoughts and kicked the guy who reached out to grab me and quickly dodged the other one who was slightly bulky, his hair long and black.

"You're coming with us one way or another."

"No, I'm not," I stated getting ready to uppercut the guy. My fists were already up and waiting to hit him.

"Yes, you are," he said dodging my fist.

"That's enough out of you," I heard from behind me before a cloth was pressed against my mouth and nose.

_Shit! Not good, not good! Need to get away! _

I still fidgeted around and managed to get my phone out, hoping that I could at least contact someone, but it was too late. No matter how much I struggled, no matter how much I kicked, and flail my arms around, it was no use.

The phone slipped from my hand and my eyelids began drooping, my mind becoming foggy.

The last thing I saw was me approaching the Escalade since both men were dragging me with them and the last thing I heard was someone's voice saying, _"Don't even touch her. She's mine to deal with."_

* * *

**OOOOO! So what do you think? Is it what you expected? Review and let me know how I did and let me know what you think! **

**I also know that this chapter is short, but I didn't want to put too much or too little. I wanted to leave you guys satisfied, yet unsatisfied. Anyway, it's late for me and I have class in the morning, plus I have to make sure I get in the bathroom with enough time (and preferably before my suitemates). Ja!**


	42. Chapter 42

**Here's another one! Enjoy lovelies!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Normal POV**

* * *

"SAKURA! DO YOU WANT TO ORDER SOME FOOD FOR DINNER?!" Sasori called only to receive no answer. He stopped flipping through the tv channels and glanced at the clock, noticing that twenty minutes had already passed, but there was no sign of his sister. "Where is that girl?"

He peeked his head in her bedroom but she was not there and he even knocked on her bathroom door, but when he received no answer, he opened it to look inside. He walked through the kitchen, the dining room, and even went back to the living room, but still he found no Sakura.

"Wonder if she walked to one of her friends' houses?" he said to himself, grabbing his phone from its place on the sofa.

He quickly dialed Tenten's number and received a breathless hello after two rings.

"Is Sakura with you?" he asked.

_"No, I'm not even at home right now. I'm practicing at the dojo. Is something wrong?"_

"No, no, I just thought that maybe she would have been hanging out with you."

_"Sorry."_

"Thanks though. Bye." _No luck. _He dialed another number.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey Ino, is Sakura with you?" he asked, hoping to receive a yes.

_"No, sorry. I haven't spoken to her since last night."_

"Thanks anyway. Bye."

Calling several more people and receiving several more no's started to make him worry. It was completely unusual for Sakura to disappear without telling him anything. Sighing, there were only two more people who might know where she would be and he prayed that either one of those two would say, 'Yes, I know where she is.'

_"Sasori my man, what's up?!"_

"Listen Naruto, I don't have time for small talk." Sasori's tone was serious. "Is Sakura with you or has she texted you recently?"

_"No, why?" _Naruto's voice changed to worry immediately.

"She went outside to check the mail and didn't come back in."

_"Did you check to see if she was just outside relaxing or something?"_

"No..."

_"Well, check."_

"Hold on," Sasori said as he walked to the front door. Once outside, he looked for the most obvious part of his sister that he would see first: her pink hair. But he saw nothing. He then noticed an object lying on the ground near the mailbox where the mail happened to be scattered.

"Shit," he said as he approached the object.

_"What?" _

"I found Sakura's phone lying among scattered mail with a text message that was supposed to be sent to me saying: HELP! SOS!"

Sasori was on his knees as he stared at the screen. He punched the concrete walkway as he stared at the scene in front of him.

_"We'll be right over."_

"..."

_"Sasuke's here with me."_

"..."

_"Listen, don't do anything stupid."_

XxXxXxX

Sakura groaned as she came to and cracked her eyes opened, taking note of how dark her surroundings looked. She tried shifting slightly, but when nothing happened, she looked down, seeing ropes binding her to a chair. Looking up again, her eyes were finally able to see around her and she noticed that she seemed to be trapped in a warehouse.

From what she knew, Konoha had five warehouses all located downtown. The sound of waves crashing close to a nearby dock made her realize that she was at one out of three of the warehouses located close to wear cargo ships dropped off supplies.

She tried moving again, but it was no use, her body wouldn't even listen to her. No matter how much she told it to, it just wouldn't move.

"I see you're awake," a voice said.

Sakura's head snapped up and her eyes zeroed in on the figure approaching the only lighting in the room which happened to be located above her.

"It's useless struggling because I injected you with this." A syringe containing a green almost-glowing liquid was held up for the pinkette to see. "It's a paralyzing liquid. Custom made too."

Sakura wanted to open her mouth, wanted to say something, but even her mouth didn't obey her orders.

"It's no use, that liquid has probably already spread through your entire system. You're hopeless for two hours."

Sakura glared at the person standing before her, wanting to wipe that smug look off of their face.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke watched as Naruto had a serious conversation with the other person on the phone. He raised an eyebrow when the blond hanged up and turned to face him, eyes filled with worry.

"That was Sasori..." Naruto paused slightly, knowing how his best friend would react. "Sakura's missing."

Sasuke felt everything come to a stop. Naruto didn't see when it was coming, but he felt himself being hauled into the air by his shirt.

"What do you mean Sakura's missing?" Sasuke hissed out demandingly.

Naruto stared into eyes that seemed to be changing from onyx to red. He managed to release himself from Sasuke's grip and sat down, explaining the phone conversation he had with Sakura's brother.

"We leave now," Sasuke said, voice hard.

Naruto nodded and grabbed his house keys, following Sasuke out of the house.

"I'm driving," Naruto stated, stopping Sasuke from opening the car door.

The raven-haired boy glared menacingly at the blond. Ignoring him, Sasuke opened the door only for Naruto to slam it close.

"Naruto," Sasuke snarled threateningly.

"Give me the keys Sasuke. I refuse to let you drive in this condition." Sasuke's eyes flared. "Listen, you are not in any condition to drive. I won't allow you to like this. Who knows what would happen if I let you get behind that wheel. Sasuke," Naruto paused, holding out his hand, "give me the car keys."

Whatever rationality Sasuke had left agreed with Naruto. There was no way he could drive in his condition. It would be dangerous, suicidal even, if he got behind that wheel while he harbored such rage.

Naruto took the keys when Sasuke finally held them out to him. He watched as the raven-haired boy got into the vehicle on the passenger side before he too got in.

XxXxXxX

They found Sasori on the sidewalk, kneeling among scattered letters, a cell phone in his hand.

"Sasori," Naruto called, trying to snap the boy out of his daze.

"Naruto, she's gone," the redhead choked out finally breaking down. The shock wore off and the boy realized that everything did happen.

"Did you call the police?" Sasuke asked, his voice tight and eyes raging with a storm as he himself looked at the scene.

Sasori shook his head before falling back into a sitting position.

Sasuke wasted no time in calling the police department and notifying Shisui of what happened.

"Naruto, let's go," Sasuke commanded already heading to the vehicle.

"Where?"

"To look for Sakura."

"We can't just leave him here like this Sasuke."

Sasuke heard the sirens a ways off. "Shisui will be here soon. They'll handle it. Right now finding Sakura is more important than staring at a scene where we can get no information from."

Sighing, the blond assured Sasori that Sakura would be okay before mentioning that the police would be arriving shortly.

As he climbed into the driver's seat, Naruto felt something bothering him. The feeling he had was itching at him, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He just had a gut feeling about this and when he took a route that Sasuke wasn't expecting the raven head questioned him.

* * *

**Hope that you guys enjoyed this one! Please review and leave your thoughts. Finals are next week, then I have a one week break before summer classes start. So hopefully, I can keep dishing out chapters as quickly as I am doing now because we all know that I am updating faster than I did than in the past lol. **


	43. Chapter 43

**Love the reviews guys! I'm not gonna keep you back from reading this chapter, but at the end I will have an author's note which explains why I took so long to update.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own.**

* * *

"What's with that look?" The person asked stepping closer to Sakura as the pinkette glared the life out of them. "You know, it was easy to track you after a while. I just had to have my men wait a bit longer than I thought."

"Karin, the preparations are ready," the bulky guy who captured Sakura said as he stepped through the door.

"Alright, leave us," the red head said as she adjusted her glasses before her gaze fell back on Sakura. "I can't have you messing up my plans. It's time to get rid of you once and for all." The red head snapped her fingers and two men appeared. "We're going to a place you should know all too well."

XxXxXxX

"Sasori, can you tell me what happened?" Shisui asked as the boy was being checked by a paramedic.

"There's not much to tell. I just came out here to see if I could find my sister and this is what I stumbled upon."

"Shisui," an officer called.

"Excuse me," Shisui said leaving Sasori by himself.

The red head watched as the officer presented a plastic bag to Shisui. It looked like it contained evidence, but what was in it, he didn't know.

"Sasuke and Naruto will find her," Itachi said as he came to stand by the boy.

He knew that for a fact, but what he just didn't understand was why it had to be Sakura though.

XxXxXxX

Sakura glared daggers at Karin as she was thrown into the backseat of the Escalade unceremoniously. Her muscles were still numb from the paralyzer and she fought hard against the liquid coursing through her bloodstream, but the only part of her that she found she had some control over was her mouth.

She didn't know if the paralyzer was wearing off quickly or if her body was battling it fiercely enough to stop some of it, but she was grateful that she could at least have control of one part of her body, even if it was a small part.

"W-w-where...are...you...taking...me," Sakura managed to grit out.

"Seems like you can talk now. Don't worry, we'll be there soon."

The smile Sakura could see on Karin's face made her blood boil. She really couldn't understand why the girl hated her so much when she did nothing wrong. If this was seriously over liking a boy, then this red head was mental.

Sakura stopped with her struggling and decided that in this world they are just people who she doesn't understand. For example, Karin. The pinkette admits that she doesn't like the red head, but saying she hated her would sound cruel-even if her dislike may be close to the hate line.

But there was just something about the red head that made Sakura dislike her. Honestly, the pinkette couldn't put her finger on it. If they were in different circumstances then maybe both girls might have had a friendship of some sorts, but given the current situation and past encounters, the pinkette doubted a friendship between them could blossom so easily now.

Sakura will admit to the fact that she utterly despises the feelings the girl has for Sasuke. She hated it with a passion. Yes, she, Sakura, is possessive of the boy and mad about him not to mention the jealousy that bubbles within her at times, but Karin, Karin's feelings all seemed shallow. Just how deep did Karin's feelings run for Sasuke? What did she really know? Everything that Sakura has witnessed led her to believe that Karin's feelings were just superficial.

The pinkette jolted forward almost rolling onto the floor of the vehicle as the Escalade came to a stop. As Sakura was being dragged out by one of the men from before, she caught sight of where they were and everything that happened here flooded through her mind.

She was standing-with the assistance of the man-in front of the elementary school she attended as a kid. The building was closed about four years ago and in that time, the outward appearance changed so much. The walls held cracks, both large and small, the paint was chipped, the gate was broken and so were many of the windows. Vines covered the walkway and walls. The grass was overgrown and the trees lost their life, fading along with the school.

"Where it began and where it shall end," Karin said happily, leading the way to the back of the school.

As the red head stopped, Sakura looked up from the ground. What she saw before her was a dead scene taken from her memories. The pond that once had clear water was now clouded and murky, hiding who knows what beneath its surface. The once strong sturdy dock, was old, brown and weak looking.

As Sakura looked around, scenes kept flashing through her mind nonstop. That one day after school, the pond, everyone, everything. But now, it was different. She was standing alone in a broken scene with no one around but the person who wanted to get rid of her.

One thought crossed her mind though: At least, nobody she cared about would be in danger like they were so many years ago. It was only her that was going to be the one who got hurt.

The pinkette knew what Karin wanted to do and when the red head turned and gave her a sickening smile, Sakura steeled herself. She knew that Karin would do the same thing she did that day. She just couldn't believe that her life was going to end all because she liked a boy. A boy who she knew since she was a toddler, who she grew up, who she had fights with, who she crushed on, who she fell in love with. Everything was going to end here and there was no stopping it.

She was useless at the moment, completely helpless, and no one was around to know what happened. Taking one last look around she closed her eyes, seeing the people she held dear.

"Bring her to me," Karin commanded. Sakura's eyes opened as she was half-dragged to the dock where Karin was. "This is goodbye. Don't worry, I'll make this as easy as I could." The girl choked the pinkette and watched as tears welled up around green orbs.

Sakura struggled to breathe as she looked into red eyes. This was the end for her. _At least I know that she isn't strong enough to get rid of me by herself or even lift me into the air, _the pinkette thought in satisfaction.

XxXxXxX

"Sakura didn't want me to tell you," Naruto said as he took a sharp turn, his foot pressing the accelerator harder, the needle going pass 60mph. The blond retold the story that Sakura told him about when she was younger.

Sasuke couldn't believe it. Everything that was happening now, rather the cause of what was happening now, was plain ridiculous. If things played out like what Naruto just said to him, then the person behind all of this is Karin.

The boy was brought out of his thoughts when Naruto muttered 'finally.' He looked up and saw the school just a couple yards away. He prayed that Sakura was okay.

XxXxXxX

Sakura couldn't struggle anymore to breathe. She felt her eyes closing but before her eyelids completely closed, she saw the sick grin that was plastered onto Karin's face. As the red head released her into the water, she thought about how she couldn't even feel the ice cold water swallowing her body.

_So this is how it ends for me..._

Family and friends flashed before her eyes, and she knew her face held a smile on it as Sasuke was the last person who flashed before her.

XxXxXxX

Naruto didn't even put the vehicle in park when Sasuke raced out of the car and jumped the broken gate leading to the back of the school. The blond was right on the boy's heels before they both slowed, seeing Karin and a man.

Naruto sprinted to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Where's Sakura?" he questioned demandingly with blazing eyes.

"Where do you think?" The red head said back, a smile on her face. Naruto's face changed from anger to shock and then realization. "You dumped her in the fucking lake?!" he yelled, clenching onto the girl's shoulders.

Not a second passed as they heard a loud splash. Sasuke dived in immediately after hearing what he didn't wish to hear and Naruto held his breath hoping that the boy reached Sakura in time.

Karin shook the blond off and continued walking, making her way to the exit.

"You really are crazy," Naruto said, stopping the red head in her tracks.

"I just get what I want," Karin replied.

Naruto curled his fist in anger. The idea of throwing away someone's life for something so ridiculous was sickening. And it wasn't just anybody's life, it was Sakura's life-the life of one person he considered to be family.

The blond grabbed the girl's wrist in rage. "Do you have any idea what you have just done? Do you realize that you could have possibly killed someone?" The boy trembled in rage as he fought to control his anger. In the distance he could hear the screech of tires and screaming noise of the sirens and was glad that he informed Shisui as soon as he arrived.

The man that was with Karin began running towards the gate, hoping to get out before the cops arrive.

"You leave me here and my father will make sure you have no job," Karin said.

The man stopped and turned to face the girl. "But I have a family. I can't be caught now."

"You either stay with me and take the blame and face the consequences or have no job and suffer with your family. Don't forget who is in control here. All I have to do is give the command and your wife and kids will be put to a much worse fate than you."

The man hesitated. "If you leave me, you might not have a family to return to."

Deciding that his family was worth more than his own life, the man stayed rooted to the spot. To think he would be blackmailed into kidnapping a teenage girl whose age was close to that of his daughter sickened him to the core. If his daughter was put in this situation he would have gone mad with worry, yet here he was doing something he would have never done if it were his own child.

Naruto felt sorry for the man. Getting involved in any way with Karin seemed to cause problems for anyone. The blond couldn't understand why the man joined up with the red head in the first place, but the guy must have been desperate.

Naruto's eyes shifted when he heard the breaking surface of the water and he felt panicked when only Sasuke's head came up for a few seconds before going back under.

XxXxXxX

_"C'mon, c'mon where are you?" _Sasuke asked himself, trying to spot Sakura through the murky water. He was about to swim farther away to a different area when he noticed a few strands of pink hair below. He dove towards her and found her tangled in weeds.

Working quickly, he untangled her and pulled her up to the surface with him, rushing to the shore. Naruto was at his side in an instant, looking down at the girl.

"Sakura," Sasuke called, receiving no answer. "Sakura," he repeated, shaking her lightly before feeling for her pulse.

"Is she..." Naruto started, choking on the rest of words.

"Her pulse is faint," Sasuke replied before shaking the girl lightly.

"She's not breathing," Naruto stated, eyebrows furrowing.

"Shit," Sasuke cursed, immediately taking action. He remembered the procedures for CPR from his Sophmore year of taking health.

"C'mon Sakura," he finally murmured after several attempts at getting the girl to breath. His chest felt tight and his eyes felt like it was stinging. "Baby, don't do this to me," he whispered softly. He tried one more time and finally the girl coughed, bringing up water.

"Sasuke," Sakura muttered before coughing up more pond water.

"Thank God," Naruto said as he watched Sasuke pull Sakura in for a hug.

"I can't move," Sakura said when Sasuke pulled back to look at her.

"What do you mean you can't move? Are you numb from the pond water or something?" Naruto asked.

"No, it's not from the pond. Karin injected me with something. I guess it's starting to wear off since I can talk now."

"Why that..." Naruto trailed off, looking up to see that the girl had already disappeared and all that was left was that man who looked absolutely pitiful.

"The police are already here," Naruto said after a few minutes, noticing several cop cars stopping in front the school. "They'll take care of the rest. Let's get you to the hospital, ok?" He said looking back down at Sakura.

"Mhmm," she hummed as Sasuke picked her up bridal style.

On the way out he passed his cousin and paused slightly. "When she's better we should talk," Shisui said before going over to the other officers who arrested the man.

Naruto climbed into the driver's seat as Sasuke settled in with Sakura in the back. The blond boy turned on the heater in the car and put on the hazard lights before hightailing it to the hospital. Sasuke, however, noticed that Sakura was still shivering no matter how hot the inside of the vehicle was and he thanked God that he left his hoodie in the backseat.

He reached over and grabbed it before wrapping it around the shivering girl. "We'll be there soon," he murmured, hugging her close to himself. He wasn't planning to let her out of his sights anytime soon.

He pressed his lips against her forehead before closing his eyes.

This was just too much. He didn't understand why something like this had to happen to Sakura. He knew some girls were crazy, but never before had he witnessed something like this.

He tightened his hold on the shivering pinkette and hugged her to him.

The hospital came into view then and he sighed in relief as Naruto pulled up close to the doors.

"I'll come in as soon as I park," the blond said, ignoring how much he just wanted to jump out of the car and follow them in.

Sasuke nodded and got out the car, turning to pick the girl up. "See you inside," he said before rushing through the doors.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long. ^^" Classes are really bumming me out, especially my communication classes. I managed to complete summer session 1 and I passed the first communication class with an A (because that's all some professors go up to), but the second session has started and this new professor for communications 2 is really raining on my parade man.**

**He even told us if we die, he is coming to the funeral just to put our assignment in our coffin and then we have to do it in like the afterlife or some shit. We can't have late homework or be late for class. If we have a death in the family, it's not an excuse, even if it's apparently my own death. No water in class. No leaving early for an emergency. All speeches must stop exactly on the time and cannot go over by a second or under or points off. It's just frustrating. He even made the class sign some kind of paper saying we abide by the rules. We even have to state some kind of declaration before and after class. And we can't miss class if we are sick. **

**It's professors like this I don't like. Someone actually interrupted his class, to ask if he was crazy because the person heard from other people that he was. And the professor didn't answer the question, he kept repeating, "I am Professor ..." Smh TT-TT I don't like this class.**


	44. Chapter 44

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the reviews. I enjoyed reading them. Here's the new chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

* * *

"Listen, I need medical help," Sasuke said for the third time to the woman behind the desk in the lobby. He was beyond frustrated at this point. Honestly, what was so difficult about understanding that someone was in need of medical assistance.

"Sir, please just have a seat-" the woman was saying.

"I don't need to take a seat. What I need is for you to let me see a doctor."

"Sir-" the nurse started.

Naruto walked in at that moment and paused, watching as the nurse tried to convince Sasuke to sit down.

"Lady, do you know who I am? Because if you did, you wouldn't be wasting my time right now," Sasuke stated before a hand came to rest on his shoulder. He glanced over briefly and saw Naruto standing beside him.

"Miss," the blond began, "we need medical help."

"Sir, as I was trying to tell your friend here, please have a seat and I will get to you momentarily. That girl does not look like she is in need of immediate help. There are others who are worse off than she is at the moment."

"You seem not to understand," Sasuke hissed. "Is Tsunade here?" he asked, knowing that the woman worked during the weekend.

"Sir-"

"This is Tsunade's cousin," Sasuke interrupted. "Now is Tsunade here?"

"Sir-"

Sasuke angrily sighed as he glared at the woman behind the desk.

"I don't understand if you are deaf or if you cannot comprehend what I am saying. This girl right here," he said nodding down at the still shivering Sakura, "needs medical attention."

"What's with all the ruckus," Tsunade boomed as she walked into the lobby.

Sasuke turned to her and immediately and Naruto started explaining what happened.

"Get my medical team together," the busty blonde said to the woman behind the desk. "And Eri, if I see you treating those who need medical help the way that I saw today, then consider yourself fired. There are individuals who might be in serious need even though they do not physically show it."

"Yes m-aam," Eri stuttered before running off to gather the medical team.

Tsunade turned and motioned for Sasuke to follow. Naruto began rambling again and Tsunade was able to pick out the important information from his story.

"So she was injected with a paralyzer, choked, and dropped into pond water to drown?"

Naruto nodded furiously. "And it was all Karin's doing!"

Tsunade was at a loss for words as she saw her medical team assembled up ahead. "Sasuke, I'll take her from here."

The boy hesitated but allowed one of the doctors to take her as he saw the reassuring look in Tsunade's eyes. He was about to follow them into the room, but Tsunade shook her head.

"It'll be better if you stayed outside," she stated. "Go home and get out of those clothes. There's nothing that you can do here at the moment. You can come back later." With that said the blond closed the door in his face and Sasuke was left there staring at the white door until Naruto rested a hand on his shoulder and steered him away from the door.

"C'mon man, we need to tell Sasori and call her parents."

XxXxXxX

_"We are going to book a flight back there now," Mebuki said._

"She's already at the hospital. What good would it do if you leave to come back here?"

_"She might need us."_

_Why didn't you think about us before now? _Sasori thought to himself.

"Look Mikoto, Sasuke, Itachi, Naruto, and I are all here waiting for her."

_"We're still coming. We'll take the first flight tomorrow. I want to at least make sure she is alright."_

"Well, see you then, I guess," Sasori said before the line went dead.

"They're coming back," he stated, slumping down into a nearby seat.

"Well they should," Mikoto said sympathetically, taking the seat next to the red head.

The news caught her by surprise and she hurriedly left home in yoga sweats and a large T-shirt. Sakura was like a daughter to her and the news hit her hard. What's worse is that she could see the distance Sasori and Sakura had with their parents and wondered what caused the family to end up the way they did.

"Where is she?" Ino yelled bursting into the waiting area.

"Tsunade is still in there with her," Naruto explained.

"When I see that Karin, I am personally gonna tear her limb from limb," the blond seethed.

"I'll help," Tenten said walking into the room. "You can use my new shipment of samurai weapons."

"Guys, we should deal with killing Karin later," Hinata's soft voice floated into the room.

"Before you go on a killing rampage, I have good news," Tsunade announced as she step into the small area. "Sakura is alright, but I will be putting her on house lockdown for a couple of days."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief at the news. Tsunade motioned to Sasori and Sasuke to follow her and she led them into the room. "I am including you because I feel that you should know how everything is going," Tsunade said, turning to glance at Sasuke.

"We have pumped out all of the pond water from her stomach and we managed to somehow get all of the water out of her lungs. I ran several tests and there is no trace of the paralyzer in her system. As we speak, my medical team is retrieving samples of pond water for testing in case there is any bacteria in the water that may have entered her system. In addition, Shisui has delivered to me the syringe which was used on Sakura. It still has enough liquid for me to retrieve several samples for testing. Everything appears to be fine with her, but I would like to keep her here overnight and tomorrow until the test results are in."

"I see," Sasori mumbled absorbing all the information while looking at his sister resting on the hospital bed. She looked too pale in his eyes.

"Right now, she needs a lot of rest. I would allow you two to have your time with her and when your parents arrive," she turned to Sasori, "I will inform them. I trust that they will want to see her too."

"Also, a decision of keeping Karin in the school is being made. But Sakura's input is the final decision to decide if the girl stays or goes. Personally, I would expel her for good, but I would have to say if I made that decision then I would not be acting professionally."

Sasuke snorted, but said nothing as the woman walked out the room. Instead, his eyes were on the sleeping Sakura. Her hair was splayed all around her and she was covered by a white blanket. Her skin looked too pale for his liking and he vaguely noticed that it was almost as white as the sheets that covered her.

His frown deepened as he neared her. He touched her forehead gently before leaning down to place a kiss on her head. Sasori stood at the other side of the bed, looking down at Sakura.

"It's scary to think that I was so close to losing her, that we were so close to losing her," the red head said looking up to stare into coal black eyes.

Sasuke said nothing as his fingers wove their way into Sakura's pink tresses. As he ran his fingers through her hair, he looked at her face, thinking. "At least she is safe now," he finally murmured to Sasori. "But we have to keep her safe."

"My parents are coming back."

"But they won't be able to stay for long," Sasuke stated finishing Sasori's thought. "You attend college at different hours so there is no way to keep a constant eye over her. And I can't watch her the days that she is not in school."

"Can she stay at your house then? She would have your mom looking after her."

Sasuke nodded. "I was thinking of asking you to allow her to remain at my house for a while. At least until this matter is settled."

"We would have to run that by my parents."

"I'm sure they will agree without any arguments. If not then I will convince them, but right now, it's the best and safest thing we can do for Sakura."

Sasori silently agreed and took a seat next to the bed. He grabbed his sister's hand and said a silent prayer before turning his attention on Sasuke who still had his fingers tangled in Sakura's hair. The boy looked tired, like he was about to fall asleep at any time.

Before Sasori could convince him to sit down, the raven haired boy sluggishly lowered himself to sit on the bed beside Sakura. Feeling like he should give them some privacy, Sasori got up and headed to the waiting area to inform everyone about Sakura.

XxXxXxX

"So she is ok?" Ino asked for the second time.

"Yes," Sasori confirmed.

"When can we see her?" Mikoto asked.

"Probably tomorrow," Sasori answered before requesting Mikoto follow him.

"I need to ask something of you and I am sorry if this may put you out of your way-"

"Stop," Mikoto commanded with a hand up. "Nothing you have done has ever put me out of my way and I am sure that this will not either."

"Uchiha-san," Sasori began, holding a hand up to stop Mikoto's interruption, "I know this may be a bother to you, but I would like to place my sister in your care until this matter is settled. My parents will not be here long and while I am attending my college courses I do not feel safe leaving her alone. She is in no condition to attend school and Sasuke is not able to look after her since his studies would be neglected if he did. Please take care of Sakura." Sasori bowed in front of the raven haired woman.

"Son," she stated, taking his face into her hands and lifting it up while bringing him out of his bow, "you do not have to be so formal with me. You know I treat you and your sister like my own children and I would do anything in my power to help."

"Thank you," Sasori said before being enveloped in a hug from the woman.

The small action was all it took for him to finally break and he slumped against Mikoto, hiding his face in her shoulder as he quietly cried.

"I don't understand how everything turned out the way it has," he mumbled with a broken voice. "My parents are gone most of the time, I'm in college, Sakura's in her senior year. Our family seems to be getting distant and while Sakura and I have noticed this our parents have not. It's tiring looking after everything all the time. I'm getting tired Mikoto-san. I've been doing this for eight years."

"Shhhh," she soothed running a hand through his disheveled red hair. "I'm here to help now, I was always here."

"Thank you," he said genuinely as he pulled back, trying to make himself look decent by fixing his clothes and wiping away any tears that marred his face. He felt embarrassed about his breakdown, but the soft hand on his shoulder relaxed him.

"How about I buy you a cup of coffee from the vending machine in the cafeteria?" She smiled softly at him and he smiled back.

"I would like that very much. Thank you." As he walked behind her, he felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders and he had a feeling that from now on everything was going to be all right.

* * *

**So I hope you liked this chapter! :) Please review and I will update again whenever I have the chance to.**

**As for my summer courses, I still dislike my speech class for many reasons, the teacher being one of them. I mean a girl came like maybe 3 minutes after we started and he was like don't be late to my class again and she was like but I just went to the bathroom and he is like this is the second time you were late, don't let it happen again. I hate teachers like that. **

**Just about two more weeks to go after this week. Hope I last that long. .  
**


	45. Chapter 45

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! I loved it! So just some things you should know before you start the chapter. If you have checked my profile, I recently deleted some of my old stories that I didn't like. I won't re-write them at all. So sorry. And the files for them has been deleted for a couple years since the old desktop crashed. **

**I honestly cringed when I read the stories. But now they are gone. But I hope my new stories do better. Anyways, please continue reading. I won't take up anymore of your time with this message, heehee.**

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When Sakura awoke, the first thing she saw was Sasuke's head resting against the side of her stomach as he slept. She then noticed that his hand was holding hers and their fingers were intertwined. She smiled when she saw his nose twitch.

Looking around the room, her eyes landed on a bouquet of flowers on the bedside table and a small white teddy bear with a red bow tied around its neck next to the vase of flowers. She read the little card that was facing her.

_"Get well soon." _

_-Love Sasuke_

_Aw, _she thought before giggling softly. Her giggling reached Sasuke's ears and the boy began to stir, tightening his grip on her hand before sitting up.

"Good morning sleepyhead," Sakura greeted watching as his eyes flew open and relief filled him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better. Did you sleep here?"

"They dragged me out last night, but I came this morning."

Sakura brushed strays bangs out of Sasuke's face with her free hand. "Thank you for the flowers and the teddy bear."

"No problem," he mumbled.

She giggled at him and the light pink creeping to his cheeks. "It's so sweet," she said before giggling again.

"Hn."

"But really thank you," she said before placing a light kiss on his lips. He tangled the hand that wasn't holding her hand into her hair and pulled her forward, kissing her passionately. She hummed slightly when his tongue entered her mouth.

Someone cleared their throat and Sakura pulled away quickly, blushing a shade darker than her hair. Sasuke smirked at Sakura's reaction and licked his lips satisfyingly.

"Looks like you are having a very good morning," Tsunade stated while walking closer to the two.

Sakura's blush deepened and she looked down at her lap, hiding her burning face. Sasuke turned away from her and peered up at the older woman.

"Let's get down to business shall we?" The woman took a seat in the free chair by the window. "I know that you both are waiting to find out how everything went and I have good news. Every sample we tested had no bad influence in your system and that paralyzer did nothing to you except paralyze you. Everything is fine and you should be able to get out of here soon. But you are not allowed back to school until Thursday."

"But-" Sakura started to protest before Tsunade stopped her.

"I want you to rest fully and spend some time with your family."

"Fine," Sakura sighed out, playing with Sasuke's fingers.

"Now I have something serious to ask you."

Sakura focused on her cousin's eyes and face. Tsunade looked back at her, all trace of happiness gone.

"I am most likely going to expel Karin, but I need your input so I can go through with the expulsion."

Sakura sat still while her mind was running through thought after thought. Should Karin really be expelled? She did try to kill her. But then again she wasn't like this before. And there are students who are allowed into schools even though they _have_ killed someone. Would she really want her gone? She knew she would like all the comments and actions against her to stop. But there seems to be something wrong with the red head other than trying to kill her. Maybe she is misunderstood? Maybe she is acting like this for a reason? But sinking so low as to get rid of her permanently?

Sakura remembered when she was four and the red head was nice, asking her to be friends and giving her a cookie when they had recess. But then Karin turned five and started to ignore her and when she turned six, she started bullying her. But Sakura knew that the nice four year old who wanted to be her friend in kindergarten was somewhere hidden deep within Karin.

Sakura sighed tiredly. Something told her what decision she should make. She was sure of her answer.

"Don't expel her," Sakura stated.

"What?" Sasuke asked disbelievingly.

"Do you trust me?" Sakura asked him, looking directly into coal black eyes.

"Yes," he answered. "But I don't trust _her_," he hissed.

"Do you trust me?" Sakura repeated.

"Yes," Sasuke said.

"Then trust me on this," she said before looking at her cousin and restating her decision.

Tsunade got up and made her way to the door. "The police are coming to question you later and your parents should be landing in an hour."

"My parents?" the girl asked confused.

"Sasori told them," the older woman said before leaving the room.

"Greeeeaaaaatttt. Now my parents are coming back. There is no way in hell we are letting them know who did this." Sakura looked at Sasuke. "Promise?"

"Aa."

"I wanna hear you say it Sasuke."

"I promise," he stated.

"Good boy," Sakura said. "Now come here," she said before pulling on his shirt, bringing his face closer to hers. "We do have an hour to spare," she whispered mischievously before crashing her lips into his.

XxXxXxX

When Sasori found them, he raised his eyebrows slightly. Sasuke was half on the bed and leaning half way over Sakura while the girl was running her hands through the boy's hair. Both were locked in a heated make-out session and neither looked like they were going to let the other come up for air.

"You know," Sasori interrupted, " you guys are lucky it was me who walked in on you."

The two pulled away quickly and Sakura buried her face in Sasuke's chest in embarrassment.

"At least you guys still have your clothes on."

Sakura swore she was not going to show her face anytime soon.

"You can't stay buried there forever Sakura. Mom and dad are going to be here soon."

"I know that. Tsunade told me," the girl's muffled voice said.

Sasori sighed. "I'm leaving to pick them up. I just came to see how you are doing."

"I'm fine," she said, peeking out from Sasuke's chest.

"Ok squirt," Sasori said before turning to leave.

"Wait!" Sakura called. "Don't tell mom who did this."

"We might have to squirt."

"But I don't want Karin to get arrested."

Sasori turned back to look at his sister shockingly.

"I know she has done many things to me, some of which was really bad; but I don't want to send her to jail or juvenile or wherever. I don't know, it's just, she seems like she isn't herself. Just trust me when I say that she shouldn't have to go to jail. I know what I am doing."

"I hope so," Sasori sighed.

"When have I been wrong about things like this?" Sakura questioned.

"Not as much as I thought."

Sakura smiled. "Just trust me. Everything is going to be fine."

XxXxXxX

"Where is she?"

"Here come my parents," Sakura muttered to Sasuke as she heard noises from outside the room.

"My poor baby," Mebuki cried as soon as she opened the door. "Who did this to you?"

"I don't know mom," Sakura said lying as best she could. "All I know was that I was kidnapped by some men when I went to check the mail." At least that was part of the truth.

"Did you see their faces?" her father questioned.

"Barely," she answered. "I was too focused on trying to fight them off before they managed to knock me out."

"At least you went down fighting," Kizashi mumbled.

"KIZASHI!" Mebuki yelled, turning to face him.

"What? You rather her be helpless?" he countered.

'Shit. Who knew that they would start an argument now?' Sakura thought, flicking her gaze between her parents.

"This is not the time to fight," Mikoto said entering the room with a bouquet of daises and lilies.

"Mikoto-san is right," Sasori stated from his position against the wall.

"The stress is getting to us," Mebuki admitted before taking a seat at the edge of the hospital bed. Sasuke had moved off to the side earlier before Sakura's parents entered the room. Now, he stood beside his mother, quiet.

"How are you feeling?" Mebuki asked, turning back to face Sakura.

"Fine. Tsunade said I can go home soon."

"That's a relief," she sighed as Sakura noticed Sasori slip out of the room. Mikoto's face seemed to be slightly scrunched up as she looked at the scene and Sakura wondered why.

She soon left the room after Sasori and Sasuke was left standing off to the side, trying not to intrude on the 'family moment'.

"I hope you messed them up pretty good," Kizashi said, finally breaking the silence.

"I decked one of them pretty good," Sakura replied.

"Is that all you can really think about?" Mebuki frustratingly asked. "Here is our daughter, lying down in a hospital bed and you ask her how badly she beat someone up like you are talking about the weather."

"Enough," Tsunade's voice boomed. Everyone turned to face the blonde who was followed by Sasori and Mikoto.

The busty blonde ushered all of those who were not family to leave the room to speak to the family. After relaying the results of each test and what needed to be done, she left the room after reminding Sakura that the police was coming soon.

"That's a relief," Mebuki said as she looked at her daughter.

"I'll be outside to meet the police when they arrive," Sasori said as he left the room.

Sakura sat in uncomfortable silence with her parents before the door was flung open and Naruto walked in. "So I bought you some dango from that stall down..." he stopped short noticing her parents. "Ehehehe, hi."

XxXxXxX

When the police finally arrived, Sakura's parents were cleared out of the room after much protesting, but Shisui managed to convince them to let him talk to Sakura, Sasori, Sasuke, and Naruto separately. His excuse was that if they remained in the room, then the kids would be distracted form answering the questions properly.

"Full story," Shisui stated.

Sakura told him everything she knew followed by Sasori and then Naruto and Sasuke. "Was it the same vehicle from that one night?" Sakura nodded.

"Well, we arrested that one man that was in the clearing behind the school and the vehicle was gone by the time we reached."

"Shisui?" Sakura asked.

He waited for her to go on.

"Will Karin go to jail?"

He sighed. "Do you want her to?"

Sakura shook her head. They discussed everything for another twenty minutes before her parents were let back in the room along with Mikoto and Tsunade.

"Good news: you can leave now if you wish."

"Yes!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Here squirt," Sasori said, throwing a paper bag at her. She peered inside and saw a fresh set of clothes.

XxXxXxX

"It's so damn good to be out of there," Sakura said, stretching as she got out of the car. She looked up at her house and beamed in happiness.

"All that nasty food is gross," Naruto said from beside her.

"The pudding was not nasty," she stated before taking the bag of untouched dangos from his hand. "By the way, thanks for this."

"No problem," he said.

"Sasuke," Sakura said pouting.

"Hm?" he hummed, looking down at the girl.

"Stay for a while?" she asked.

"Tsunade said you needed to rest."

"I have been resting in that damn hospital for over a day now. I don't think I could sleep anymore if I tried."

"I think your parents want you all for themselves today."

"They would try to make me sleep and act like I can't do anything at all. Please? Stay for at least an hour." Sasuke couldn't resist her puppy dog face and agreed causing the girl to jump onto him. "Naruto, you stay too," she added once she released Sasuke.

The blonde smiled brightly and nodded. Sakura hooked her arms through theirs and the trio made their way to the house, each one expressing their happiness in their own way.

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**There you guys have it. Please review? And I am so happy! This is my last week of summer courses, but I have a speech to do today in class. Wish me luck!**


	46. Chapter 46

**Thanks for the review guys! I'll have a longer author's note at the end of the chapter. I don't wanna keep you from reading. So enjoy!**

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"Maybe we can ask Danzo to stay a couple more days," Sakura heard her mother say from the kitchen as she was walking down the stairs.

"You know we can't do that. He gave us three days," Kizashi replied.

"But-"

"Mebuki, I understand. I want to stay too, but we can't."

"If only Danzo wasn't our boss."

"But he is."

"I wish we could have stayed one more day."

Sakura heard her father hum in agreement. "But we leave tonight."

Ignoring their conversation, Sakura walked right into the room acting like she heard nothing at all.

"Good morning," she chirped while forcing a smile.

"Good morning," her parents said unaware that she was faking.

"How are you feeling?" Kizashi asked, genuinely concerned.

"I feel much better. In fact, I am ready for school tomorrow," she answered honestly. She knew her dad cared a lot and it made no sense to be mad at him or her mother, but their work always seem to come ahead of her and her brother. Nevertheless, she loved her parents greatly and she was always a daddy's girl, truth be told.

"That's good to hear," her mother said, interrupting the girl from thinking.

"Yeah," Sakura replied, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl for breakfast. Just as she was walking out of the kitchen to head back upstairs her mother stopped her.

"How about we watch a movie together like we use to?"

The words 'use to' rang through Sakura's head and she mentally snorted. 'I wonder why it's use to?' she asked herself sarcastically, picking up on the bitterness she said the mental thought with.

"Maybe a princess movie that you like?" her father added when she said nothing.

She had to admit she loved princess movies, especially the Disney princess movies. She remembered how much fun it use to be when her father actually tried to mimic a tale of a princess and prince-her being the princess and her stuffed teddy bear being the prince while her father was the 'king of all the land.'

She also remembered how her teddy bear was no longer her prince because her father replaced the stuffed animal with a makeshift plushie of Sasuke. She mentally laughed as she thought of her father sitting down with needles and fabric, trying to make a plushie that resembled Sasuke.

"Well?" Kizashi asked.

"All right," Sakura agreed with a small smile.

"I'll get the snacks," her mother said happily.

"I'll get Sasori," Sakura stated.

"And I'll pick the movie," her father said as he left the room.

After dragging Sasori out of his room, Sakura plopped down on the couch with her mother sitting towards the far right.

"All right, let's get this movie started," Kizashi said, taking the space between the two.

Sakura was so absorbed with watching the opening previews for the movie that she suddenly jerked back when an object was shoved up to her face. Pulling back slowly, she saw the makeshift plushie of Sasuke and turned to look at her father who was beaming brightly at her.

"I still had it after all this time," he said softly while placing the object in her hands.

The pinkette looked down at the plush version of her boyfriend and a warm feeling started bubbling up within her.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, looking up at him with a big smile. She hugged the mini Sasuke to her chest as she settled back down to watch the movie.

Their family may not have been like what it used to be, but now at least they are starting somewhere. And Sakura agreed that starting somewhere was better than not starting anywhere at all.

XxXxXxX

After the moving the pinkette was shoved into the kitchen by Sasori while their parents went to finish pack.

"I want you to start packing your things as well," Sasori stated. "I have no classes tomorrow so I will bring you back here but Friday morning when Sasuke picks you up for school you will be staying with them."

"What about you? Are you going to stay here alone?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on this place. Look just pack your stuff and tonight after we drop off mom and dad, we'll drop your stuff off at Itachi's place."

"Okay," the girl said. "How much should I pack?"

"As much as your duffel bag can fit. I'll shove it into the compartment under the backseat before mom and dad come."

Sakura headed straight to her closet after finishing her conversation with Sasori and searched for her black and white duffel bag. She hastily threw it on the floor beside the bed at an angle that couldn't be seen from the doorway just in case her parents walked by.

She quickly threw in some clothes from her drawers before going to her closet. She wanted to hurry and pack before her parents finished. They had a habit of popping up every now and again and she didn't want them to walk in while she was packing.

After throwing a couple outfits in, some random shirts, a couple of pants, and one skirt, she grabbed her black flats and shoved them into a plastic bag before shoving them into the duffel bag. Going around the room, she grabbed other items that she needed before zipping the bag closed and shoving it under her bed.

Sending a quick text message to Sasori, she left the room and walked back downstairs like nothing was happening at all.

XxXxXxX

"Ok, we're all set," Sasori stated as he climbed into the vehicle.

"We'll see how fast we can get back here," Mebuki said as Kizashi started driving to the airport.

"Don't worry about that. I'm pretty sure the police are working on the case and everything will be fine," Sasori said smoothly.

"But still, we want to be a little closer to home now that this incident has happened," Mebuki said.

"We're all fine. For all we know it could have been some person abducting young girls and they saw Sakura. But it's over now," Sasori quickly added at the end of his statement. "No worries. Besides, her boyfriend's family is the police. They won't let anything happen to her."

Sasori jabbed Sakura in the side to say something reassuring to their parents.

"Yeah, I'm totally fine so don't worry yourselves."

'Especially since I knew who did it and because I don't want that person to be arrested.'

After bidding their parents goodbye, Sasori took off in the direction of Sasuke's house. "So, it's like eight right now," he said while looking at the digital clock. "We can stay for maybe an hour or two, ok."

Sakura nodded and pulled out her phone to send a quick text to Sasuke.

When the two arrived, Sakura pulled out her duffel bag from its hiding place and followed Sasori up the driveway. Mikoto welcomed them into the house and ushered them into the living room while taking Sakura's duffel bag and handing it over to Sasuke.

"Put that in the guest room upstairs," the woman instructed and Sasuke disappeared from the room.

"So your parents left," Mikoto stated, taking a seat across from Sasori.

"Mhmm," Sakura hummed as Sasuke appeared in the room.

Mikoto looked away from the girl when Sasuke took a seat next to her and instead set her focus on Sasori.

"Friday is when Sakura will be staying with you all. Since I have no classes tomorrow, she'll remain at home."

Mikoto nodded in understanding. "You have nothing to worry about when she is here."

"I know."

The rest of the time was spent in light conversation.

XxXxXxX

"It actually feels good to be back in school," Sakura said as she walked to the cafeteria with her girls.

"We're just glad that you're okay," Hinata said.

Ino and Tenten agreed.

"So what happens now?" Ino asked as she picked up an apple from the fruit selection and rested it on her tray.

"Well..." Sakura started, knowing that they wouldn't take the news happily, "I sort-of-maybe-told-Shisui-not-to-arrest-Karin," she said quickly.

"WHAT?!" Ino exclaimed, drawing various eyes to them.

"Ino," Sakura nervously said, trying to wave off the stares as they walked to their lunch table.

"Are you crazy?!" The blonde asked, slamming down her lunch tray on the table.

"No," Sakura stated.

"Sakura, I have to agree with Ino here. Why wouldn't you hand Karin over to the authorities? I mean she has done some pretty bad things to us, mainly you," Tenten said.

"Can you guys just trust me on this? Please?" The pinkette asked before turning to Hinata. "You trust me don't you? Maybe you can understand why I don't want to hand her over to the authorities."

Hinata nodded and turned to her other two friends trying to soothe them. Ino sighed and sat down, stabbing her fork into her salad. "We trust you," she finally said after a few minutes. "And we are gonna trust you with this," she said, pointing her fork at the pinkette.

"Thanks guys. So where is she anyway?" Sakura asked, now noticing that the red head was nowhere in sight.

"Ever since that day, she hasn't shown up to school," Tenten informed.

"You think she dropped out?" Ino questioned.

"I have no idea," Tenten replied.

"Sakura!" The pinkette was engulfed in a hug from behind.

"Suigetsu?"

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern plastered on his face and showing in his eyes.

"I'm fine," she answered.

"When I heard, I couldn't believe it," he said, releasing the girl.

"I heard she hasn't shown up to school since then."

"She hasn't," he said, concern replaced with anger when he thought about how the red head tried to actually kill one of the only real friends he had.

"Have you talked to her?" Sakura questioned.

"Not since a couple months ago," he answered.

"I see," the pinkette murmured.

"But I plan to," the boy said before turning around and walking straight out the noisy lunchroom.

"What do you think he means by that?" Ino questioned as she watched him disappear behind the cafeteria doors.

"I honestly have no clue," Sakura answered.

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**So I know this chapter turned out to be a little short...but I am already starting on the other one so that makes up for it right? Ehehehe. **

**So good news, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for this fic, but I don't know how many more chapters it will take for me to reach, well, the end. Also, another plotline for a another SasuSaku story is buzzing around in my head. So that's a total of 2 SasuSaku stories and 1 NejiTen waiting to be written. **

**Hopefully, I will hear from you reviewers when I start them. I know I will recognize you by name because I know you guys who review regularly for me. :) **

**On another note, I have passed all my summer classes with either an A- or an A. And it feels so damn good, especially after I was being a worry wart for that crazy professor's class. I ended up getting an A though, hahaha. This one friend of mine keeps joking around saying, "Well, you're A-sian." (Since I am Indian). Smh. Anyways, reviews are always welcomed. So? Review? Pretty please? **


	47. Chapter 47

**I wanna thank you guys for reviewing! I loved all the positive feedback I got! Anyways, onto the story!**

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Suigestu didn't care if he was absent from his classes for the rest of the day or if he was marked down for skipping. He was tired of all this shit that was happening, and frankly, he was fed up with Karin's actions. He was tired of her always acting like she was the one that needed help and attention, that she was the one who was wronged. Other people had far greater problems than her. She was acting like a spoiled, little brat who would do anything to get what she wanted when her parents said no. It sickened him to no end to see the person he was once good friends with reduced to a mere brat.

In fact, her attitude was exactly like that deranged girl, Princess, from that one cartoon he use to watch with Karin, PowerPuff Girls. That's exactly who Karin was acting like. That one character annoyed him then and now, and currently Karin was getting on his nerves as well.

Stooping so low as to take someone's life? What good would that bring? If she was looking for attention, well, she would damn well get it, but it would be far from what she would expect it to be. Did she honestly think that Sasuke would go for her? Especially after she tried to murder his girlfriend? She was downright stupid if she thought that.

She already had popularity and all that money could buy to please her. She had her fake friends and all the designer clothes she could want and buy. Her father was well established in the business world, but not widely known, yet he brought in a lot of money. She had a good home, a good house, everything that she could want, and yet she couldn't be satisfied, wouldn't be satisfied. Would taking a girl's life satisfy her? Would it make her life feel complete?

It disgusted him, the more he thought about it. Karin wasn't who she use to be. She was far gone to be who he knew. His face twisted in utter repulsion as he recalled her saying they were friends a couple months ago. How could she be his friend? That bond they had became insignificant to her. She threw it away like it was an old pair of shoes. He didn't know who she was anymore.

But even though he felt so repulsed, he also felt pained. The girl who stole his heart kept it and never gave it back. He was hurting because he knew that no matter how much she disgusted him, how much he hated what she did and how she acted, he still loved her. He knew that somewhere inside her was the person he liked, the person that was truly his friend, the person he fell in love with.

He clenched his fists as he came to a stop in front if a yellow colored house. He knew she would be here. This is where she always went. She didn't go home because even though she was home surrounded by maids and her father, she felt empty and alone. This was the one place she found peace, the place that she would remember and become a little bit of her old self.

Reigning in his emotions and calming himself, Suigetsu walked up the cement walkway that led to the wooden door of the house. He knocked three times and waited as he heard shuffling from the inside before the door was opened to reveal an old lady.

"Obaa-san," Suigetsu greeted the lady.

"Suigetsu!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in years."

"It would seem so," he replied, looking down at Karin's grandmother.

"I can't believe how much you've grown. I recognized the hair and eyes, but once I heard your voice, I knew it was you."

"Enough with the greetings Obaa-san," Suigetsu stated. "Where is she?" he asked, cutting straight the point of why he was there.

"I don't understand-"

"Cut the act Obaa-san. We both know she's here."

The little woman sighed and stepped aside, allowing the boy to enter the house. "You know where to find her," she stated before closing the front door and heading into the living room.

Suigetsu walked down the hallway, took a left, and entered a second living room, which was reserved only for the family, before climbing the stairs that led to the second story. He noticed the tray of barely touched food sitting outside the door to Karin's room. Not bothering to knock, he twisted the knob and entered, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Grandma, I told you, I want to be alone," Karin stated, not looking up from her position at the window. She was sitting on her window seat with a pillow hugged tightly to her chest as she stared outside.

"Too bad I'm not your grandmother," Suigetsu said.

Karin looked up in shock. "Suigetsu?" she whispered.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked angrily. He didn't let her answer him. "Really Karin? Taking someone's life? What is up with you? I don't even know you anymore. You make me sick when I think about what you have done. Going so far as to end someone's life? Is it really that satisfying? Do you know what it is to end someone's life? To take someone's child away from a family. How would you be able to live knowing that your hands ended a life? And you did this all for what? A boy? You did this for a person that doesn't want you. A person that is happy with things the way they are, they way they were before you messed it up. You messed up someone's happiness and fucked with someone else's life just for your benefit. Does that make you happy?" He was slowly approaching her while he questioned her.

"Do you even like him? Do you love him? If you did, then you would try to be happy that he is happy. If you really like that person-"

"I don't like him!" Karin blurted out.

Suigetsu's eyes widen at that. "What do you mean you don't like him? After all these years, now you say you don't like him. Really, what the hell is going on with you?"

Karin let out a defeated sigh and turned to watch the scenery outside again. "I saw them together and I felt nothing," she began. "I became frustrated at myself that I couldn't feel anything and I tried convincing myself, that yes, I did like him, that I do love him. I tried telling myself that I'm what's best for him and that I would be happy. But I still felt nothing and so I took that frustration I felt from feeling nothing and I just used it to fuel myself to get Sakura out of the picture. I thought that if she was gone, then maybe I would be able to figure out myself and my feelings. B-but, I was wrong," she finished sobbing, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I was so wrong. And I have been lying to myself for so many years. At one point in time, I had a crush on him and I did like him, but now it's gone and I just have been fooling myself and finding excuses. When I think back to last week, my hands begin to shake. I see her. I see the look in her eyes. It wasn't hate Suigetsu; it wasn't even understanding. It was hurt and pain. I could see a dead look in her eyes when I wondered about if she did died. I dream about her lifeless body and her eyes boring into my soul. It's tormenting me. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" she sobbed looking into purple eyes.

"I don't even know who I've become! I think about the person I am now, and I wonder what happened to me. I guess trying to fit in and become like those other girls changed me somehow. Following the crowd led me to become the leader of the people who I tried to be like, the people I swore I would never become when I was younger. I preyed on those who wasn't like me. I thought I was better. I was wrong."

Suigetsu listened as the girl poured out all of her feelings and thoughts. This is what he meant by her becoming who she was. This place allowed her to turn back into who she was. It called to her without her knowing it.

"I'm sorry Suigetsu."

"You shouldn't be begging for my forgiveness."

"But I need to!" she admitted. "I've been such a horrible person to you! I wasn't even your friend. I'm so sorry Suigetsu!"

The white-haired boy sighed and took a seat next to her. "You shouldn't be begging for forgiveness from me so much Karin," he said softly. "I already forgave you. It's Sakura you need to beg."

"I know," she whispered back, staring up at him. "I wouldn't blame her if she doesn't forgive me though."

"You'd be surprised," he murmured before they were enveloped in silence.

Karin looked out at the sun setting behind the mountains. "My dad got arrested," she said breaking the silence between the two.

Suigetsu looked at her with shocked eyes. He was silent for a minute, not knowing what to say. "Why?" he finally asked.

"The man who I left behind at the pond told the police everything he knew," Karin said, glancing at him. "My father's company was doing underground business-exporting and importing opium, cocaine, and all other kinds of drugs; weapons too. That's how the company became a big success so quickly. Orochimaru, that one teacher we had, got arrested also. He work for my father, experimenting with different types of chemicals and drugs. That's how I got a hold of the paralyzer that I used on Sakura. My father's company played a major role in the underground market, but now that one of the main suppliers is gone, it seems like business is going to be thrown out of whack for a while."

Suigetsu sat there absorbing all the information he just heard. "Who would have thought?" he murmured quietly.

"Maybe I am just as whacko as my father," Karin suggested.

"You are not," Suigestu stated in a tone that made the girl look up at him shocked. "Everyone makes mistakes in life. Some of them are huge and then some of them are small, but you are not in any way like your father. He didn't make a mistake. He knew what he was doing when he entered his business and entered the underground market."

The red-head tackled him into a hug and buried her face into his chest, whispering a small thank you. When his arms finally wrapped around her, Karin began to blush. She always knew she liked Suigetsu somewhere deep down and now here they were, sharing one decent moment together in years and she was most likely looking like a mess.

"Sorry," she said, backing away a little. He shook his head as his arms remained wrapped around her. Karin still felt she should apologize to him for all the bad she did to him. "Suigetsu...I really am sorry," she admitted, looking into his eyes.

"Stop telling me sorry," he said, wiping away at the dry tear stains on her face. "I forgave you."

"I know, but-" she said, blushing even more when his thumb starting rubbing back and forth on her cheek.

"No more buts," he said sternly.

"Fine," she agreed. "I'm going to be moving in with grandma."

"What's going to happen to your house?" he questioned.

She shrugged. "I'm leaving it to the maids and the butlers. I don't want to live there anymore anyways. It always felt so not like home. But I feel at home here and I have someone who cares."

"Your grandmother isn't the only one who cares for you, you know," the boy murmured as he looked down at the girl still lightly resting against his chest.

"I know," Karin said, knowing that he was talking about himself. "Thank you for always being there for me," she mumbled, hugging him again.

"I always will be," he answered, holding her tightly against him while burying his face in her hair.

Karin's grandmother smiled at the scene she saw from the small crack made from opening the door. Shutting the door quietly, she picked up the tray of barely touched food and walked down the stairs while thinking about how her great grandchildren will have peculiar colored hair and eyes.

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**So? What did you guys think? I hope you enjoyed it! So a little news. I start back college on the 19th but I check in on the 17th. I am wondering if I have a roommate. Last time I didn't and I was so glad for the privacy and peace, but I have no clue about this upcoming semester. I heard that there are a lot more people. **

**But anyways, review please? It makes me happy! **


	48. Chapter 48

**Thanks for the reviews guys!**

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Sakura opened the car door and smiled brightly at Sasuke before settling in.

"Good morning," she chirped before noticing the dark sunglasses he wore. She gave him a small peck on the lips and was pulling away only to feel a hand tangle in her hair and pull her in for a passionate kiss.

_'I wouldn't mind being kissed like this every morning,' _she thought as Sasuke stopped sucking on her tongue. He brushed his lips against hers softly before kissing her one last time before whispering good morning to her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, picking up on the tiredness in his voice.

"Aa," he said reassuringly. "I just haven't been able to sleep well," he informed before driving off in the direction of the school.

XxXxXxX

"Teme, you look like shit," Naruto stated as he saw dark circles under the dark haired boy's eyes. In reply, Sasuke slid his sunglasses back onto his face before slamming his locker closed. "Yo, dude, what's going on?" Naruto questioned, witnessing his best friend's weird behavior.

Sasuke was about to walk around Naruto, but the blonde caught hold of his shirt and wouldn't let it go.

"Dammit Teme, I know something is wrong with you so spill, _now_."

"Don't worry about it Dobe, I just haven't been sleeping well," Sasuke replied.

"Why?" Naruto pressed, slowly letting go of Sasuke's shirt.

"Nightmares," he answered. Naruto looked at him confused and Sasuke sighed. "Nightmares about Sakura dying. I keep thinking what if we didn't reach there in time or what if we never found her and she was considered 'missing' only to be found dead who knows how many days after."

"We found her Sasuke and she's okay."

"Hn, but-"

"We found her. That's all that matters."

"Aa." Sasuke looked at the blonde. "Somehow you knew where she would be. Thank you."

"I have a knack for things like that," Naruto replied as they headed off to class. "So did you tell her what is happening to you?"

"No."

"Teme," Naruto scolded.

"I told her I wasn't sleeping well when she asked."

"You really should tell her."

"Dobe, if I tell her then she would worry. She almost died nearly a week ago. Sakura should be taking it easy and I am not going to make her worry over something as small as nightmares. She should be worrying about herself and not me."

Naruto said nothing, but he understood what Sasuke meant. Still, Sakura had a right to know and knowing Sasuke he wouldn't tell her. The pinkette could already see the effects the nightmares were having on the boy anyway.

XxXxXxX

"I need to talk to you," Naruto said as he approached Sakura after class.

"Hmmm? What's up?" the pinkette asked, shutting her locker door closed.

"It's about Sasuke," Naruto began. "Do you know why he is tired?"

"No," Sakura replied slowly, her mind coming up with ideas to why the boy was tired. Some of the ideas were ridiculous too. Like thinking he might break up with her or that he was cheating. It scared her to think that. "Naruto," she started softly, "is he cheating on me?" She hated asking that question, but her thoughts had her worrying. She knew Sasuke better than that, but the mind always seems to put that one thought of doubt in her head.

"No!" the boy exclaimed. "No, no, no. Sasuke loves you and only you Sakura."

"Sorry, just a thought that passed through my head."

"It's okay, but you know this is Sasuke we are talking about. You should know him better than that."

"I do, it's just sometimes you might have a doubt about it and it freaks you out."

"That sometimes happen to me when I am with Hinata. Like why is she with me and stuff. But that's not the point. The point is I know why he is acting all tired and stuff."

"Which is?"

"He's been having nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

"Nightmares about you dying."

"So that's why," Sakura trailed off, putting together the puzzle pieces.

"Mhmmm, and he didn't want me to tell you because you would worry."

"Of course I would worry! How can I not?"

"Just try not to let him know that you know as yet. I mean we are halfway through the day and tomorrow is the weekend so just wait till after school to bombard him with questions. Besides, I don't wanna be skinned alive just yet."

"Okay, and bombard? Since when do you use words like that?"

"Maybe Hinata has an effect on me," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, let's get to class before the bell rings," Sakura stated, walking away from the boy.

"Wait for me!"

XxXxXxX

Sakura noticed how tired Sasuke really was when he started nodding off in class a while ago. She bit her lip as she worriedly watch him gather his books from his locker to head home. Shutting her own locker closed, she said a small goodbye to her friends and headed over to Sasuke.

"Ready to go?" she asked, trying to see his eyes through his shades.

"Aa," he replied, placing his hand on the small of her back as he led her outside to the car.

After settling in, Sakura glanced over at Sasuke who was backing out of his parking space. Biting her lip in contemplation, she finally made up her mind to bring up the subject.

"Naruto told me," she said, waiting for his reaction.

"Idiot," he hissed.

"Why didn't you tell me about the nightmares Sasuke?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Because of this right here, what you are doing. I know that you would worry and I didn't want you to."

"I'll always worry about you Sasuke and that will never change."

"I'm sorry," the boy mumbled.

"It's okay," Sakura replied, turning to face the front again after giving him a small peck on the cheek.

The vehicle slowed to a stop at the exit of the school and Sakura turned her head to look down the street on her side, seeing it clear. After five minutes of not moving with no vehicle heading in their direction, the pinkette looked over and saw Sasuke slumped over the steering wheel.

"Shit," she cursed, trying to shake the boy awake, but it was no good. Her hand brushed his forehead and she felt a fever coming on and cursed again.

Putting the vehicle in park and pulling up the handbrake, she hurriedly took off her seatbelt and opened the car door, rushing to his side. Struggling for a minute, she finally was able to remove his seat-belt. She dragged him out of the car as best she could and leaned him up against the car. Wrapping an arm around his waist and putting one of his arms around her shoulders, she began dragging him to her side of the car.

"Now how the hell am I supposed to get him in there," she muttered, leaning him against the car again. Holding him in the hold she had him in before, she put his upper body into the car, his legs still awkwardly outside. After fixing his legs inside and making sure he was comfortable, she buckled him up and climbed into the driver's seat.

"So happy I got my license in my sophomore year," she muttered, putting on the emergency lights before putting the car in gear and taking off. Hopefully, she wouldn't get pulled over by a cop, but then again, the police were his family.

She overtook a couple cars and beeped a couple times, indicating that she was in a hurry because it was an emergency. Glancing at the boy, she noticed how clammy and pale-looking he was. She was hitting 70mph and speeding through all green and yellow lights.

She sighed in relief when she finally saw the turn she had to take to reach Sasuke's house. When she pulled up the driveway, she rushed inside to find either Mikoto or Itachi. Coming across the long-haired man in the kitchen, she pulled him outside while explaining the situation to him.

Itachi got Sasuke out the car easily and instructed Sakura to find his mother while he put the boy in his respective room. Sakura felt like a chicken without its head while running around trying to find Mikoto. She finally found the woman in the garden and breathlessly explained Sasuke's condition before the two of them rushed up to the boy's room.

"It seems like he might be catching the cold," Mikoto stated after looking him over. Sakura sighed in relief. She thought it could have been something in the pond water that he dove into that was starting to affect his system.

"I'll go to the supermarket and pick up a few items and some medicine. Sakura, take care of him?" The girl nodded in response before Mikoto turned to Itachi. "Get Sakura everything she needs before you head out to class." Mikoto left the room after that and Sakura insisted that she could get the items she needed herself but Itachi refused to let her do everything.

After instructing him on what she needed, she looked down at Sasuke worriedly. "All this happened because you were suffering so much without wanting me to worry," she said as she caressed his face. Sighing, she stood up and left the room to assist Itachi in his search, but he came up the stairs with everything she asked him for.

"Thanks," she said, taking the items from him.

"Aa," he said before leaving to gather his things for his college class.

Sakura returned to the room and entered the adjacent bathroom to fill the basin Itachi brought for her with cold water. Dropping the cloth into the blue basin, she returned to the room and took a seat on the edge of the bed, setting the basin on the nightstand. She squeezed out some of the water from the cloth and set it on Sasuke's forehead before letting out a sigh and intertwining their hands together.

When Mikoto arrived home from the supermarket, Sakura went downstairs to help the woman and insisted that she make some soup for the sick boy before ushering the older lady out the room, insisting that she carry on with her chores and to leave Sasuke in her care. The woman hesitantly agreed and allowed Sakura to steer her out the room.

After Mikoto left, Sakura rummaged through the brown paper bags and pulled out a couple tomatoes, a can of chicken soup, a can of tomato soup, a pack of noodles, a package of chicken breast, and other vegetables. Looking at all the food items, the pinkette decided to warm the tomato soup and add a couple more ingredients to it. She chopped up three tomatoes and put them into the soup. In a separate pot, she was boiling the cleaned chicken breast. After the chicken was boiled, she shredded it and put it into the soup along with some noodles. She seasoned it for taste and then turned the fire off before going to retrieve a bowl from the cabinet.

Along with the soup, she placed a glass of room temperature water on a tray and rummaged some more through the bags, trying to find the medicine that Mikoto bought for Sasuke.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke found himself lying in his bed when he woke up and wondered what happened. He sat up and jerked slightly when the cloth on his head fell into his lap. He scrunched his eyebrows in thought. The last thing he remembered was driving to the exit of the high school and then after that everything was blank.

"You're awake!" Sakura exclaimed as she entered the room, causing Sasuke to turn to her. She hurried to his side and placed the tray on the bedside table. She reached a hand out to his forehead and felt his temperature, taking note that it wasn't as hot as it was before. "You scared me you know," she mumbled as she ran a hand through his hair.

"What happened?" he asked as her brought her closer, burying his face in her stomach.

Her hand continued to run through his hair. "You passed out on me. I had to drive us home," she said. He pulled back slightly to look at her, his eyes asking for forgiveness but also showing how ashamed he was. "It's ok," she murmured affectionately. "I made you soup." She pulled away from him to retrieve the bowl before sitting down next to him. "Eat some," she said, putting a spoonful of soup to his mouth after she blew on the steaming liquid.

He accepted the food and looked up into Sakura's expecting gaze. "It tastes good," he reassured, taking the bowl from her and feeding himself. She pouted at him and try to take the bowl back. "Sakura, I'm sick. I don't have a broken hand."

"I know," she stated. "But you took care of me so I want to do the same." He sighed when she gave him her puppy-dog eyes and handed her the bowl, causing her to smile brightly.

_'I love you,'_ he thought as she feed him another spoonful of the soup.

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**So this is the other chapter. I would have finished it sooner, but my classes kept me busy. I don't have much to say in this author's note, but please review! **


	49. Chapter 49

**Firstly, I would like to say thank you to those who have reviewed. My day becomes brighter when I see I have a new review. **

**Secondly, I will continue what I want to say at the end of the chapter because I do not want to keep you from reading. So continue on reading. **

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"Kiba, would you hurry the hell up?!" Ino huffed, dragging the boy by the hood of his jacket.

"Where are we even going Ino?" the boy asked.

"To find Tenten," the blonde replied.

"Why?"

"Because!" Ino exclaimed. Kiba shook out of Ino's hold and walked side by side with the blonde to the dojo.

"So what's the deal with this whole thing?" Kiba asked breaking the silence that had settle between them.

"What thing?"

"Between Karin and Sakura."

Ino stopped walking and turned to face Kiba. "You really want to know?" The boy nodded. The blonde sighed and continued walking forward at a much slower pace with Kiba following close behind.

"We were five and it was after the festival held at the ending of October*; it was practically during the beginning of November when everything started," Ino began, her eyes distant as she remembered the memory as if it happened yesterday.

"We were so happy from the festival that we couldn't stop talking about it. We talked about the fire and people and the men carrying burning torches. Everything was so special to us back then. Being able to experience something so much bigger than ourselves. We talked about it for a week because even though we were all there, we were at different places, seeing it from different positions. We wondered what it would look if we were standing where each other was standing and looking at the festival.

"But one day, out of the blue Karin happened. I don't know what caused it and I don't know what we did, but from then on she just started treating us like dirt. It was like she spit on us, stomped on us, and then walked right over us. Sakura was at the receiving end of most of the bullying. It was in December that Karin told us to stay away from you guys and by this time she had her posse backing her up. She pulled stunts to keep us away, destroyed our things, threatened us, everything you think a kid could and would do except maybe worse.

"It was February of the next year when she told us Sasuke was hers and to stay away. She said boldly to us, 'I'm going to marry him and he will own my father's company. We will be rich and live happily ever after just like in the fairytales and there is nothing that you can do about it.' She had taken our Valentine's chocolates that day and smashed them to pieces while Ami and the others stepped all over them. Hinata by this time was pretty shaken up, having to go through something like this. Of course, we—Sakura, Tenten and I—defended Hinata as best we could because she too was starting to get treated badly like Sakura. Soon enough Tenten and I became victim to Karin and her friends. From then on everything kept escalating. Karin would constantly claim Sasuke as hers, treat us badly, tried to make us stay away. The more years went by, the worse the treatment became.

"As you can see, she finally lost it and tried to get rid of Sakura permanently. And worse off, Karin tried to get rid of Sakura the same way she tried to years ago. She took her to the exact same place where it happened and treated her the way she did back then, but this time," Ino broke off, her hand coming to rest against her throat like she was imagining Sakura in front of her with Karin's hands around the pinkette's throat, "this time, Karin went too far. She knocked Sakura out, drugged her up, choked her, and then dumped her in the pond to meet her doom.

"And yet after all of this, Sakura wants us to leave the situation alone." Kiba noticed that Ino's hand had dropped away from her throat to curl into a tight fist at her side. "I can't stand this anymore. It infuriates me, sickens me, and I just want it all to end. I am feeling so many things right now when I think about Sakura and what she has been through, but when I think of Karin, my blood boils. I want her to feel the same way we have, I want her to hurt just as badly. If she was on the brink of death would she come to realize what she has put us through and the severity of it? If she was on the receiving end, would she be begging for mercy or saying that it is what she deserves?

"What would it take to get her to realize what she did was bad? Sakura sees some good in her, I can tell and she's trying to pull that out. But I just can't...I just can't comprehend how Sakura can forgive her so quickly. I can't even bring myself to say I forgive her. In due time maybe I will, maybe I won't, but I can't let go of everything she did to us, just not yet. When I am though, I know I will be able to move pass this and forgive her."

Kiba came to a stop, causing Ino to turn around in question. His head was bowed and his eyes were hidden, but his arm shot out and he pulled the blonde in for a tight hug. Ino was too startled to do anything, but finally moved her arms to wrap around him before burying her face in his neck. The silence seemed like a calming wave washing over them as the two stood there, embracing each other without speaking. Finally, Kiba broke the silence.

"Everyone deserves a second chance Ino. No matter how bad they messed up, everyone needs a second chance." His words were murmured so softly into the blonde's ear and she held onto him tighter.

"I know," came her muffled reply. "I know."

XxXxXxX

Tenten couldn't help but be distracted by everything that has happened. I mean can you blame her? Her best friend was almost killed by a crazy red-haired, glasses wearing freak. She had every right to be distracted even during practice at the dojo. But this distraction is also why she ended up landing on her ass every five minutes. Shaking her head, she stood up, dusting off her pants, and got into position facing Neji. She charged at him, pulling back her hand, ready to deliver a blow, but once again got caught up in her thoughts.

How hard had Sakura fought to get away? How did they take down the pink-haired girl who had such exceptional strength? Then she remembered how dirty Karin had played and a frown made itself known on her face.

"You're distracted again," Neji said, catching her oncoming fist and pulling her closer to him. "That's not a good thing." He swept her feet from under her, and Tenten ended up falling backwards. She closed her eyes and braced for the impact she knew was coming, but was confused when she didn't feel a sharp pain or stinging sensation in her back. Opening her brown eyes, she saw Neji's pale lavender eyes staring down at her and she felt his arms under her back, acting like a shield, cushioning her fall.

_'So that explains it,' _she thought before blinking suddenly when Neji's long hair fell over his shoulder, brushing her skin. She looked down at the strands lying innocently on her shirt and looked back up to find the boy's face closer to hers than it was moments ago. She blushed a pretty light shade of pink and averted her eyes, trying desperately to avoid looking into Neji's pale lavender orbs.

"Being distracted is not a good thing Tenten," he scolded lightly, "especially on the battlefield."

"I wasn't distracted," she mumbled before biting her bottom lip. She watched as his eyes darted downwards to catch the action and she wet her dry lips while wondering if he could hear how loud and how fast her heart was beating.

"I disagree," he said, his eyes meeting hers again. She could see something swirling in those pale orbs of his and it both excited her and made her nervous. "Do you want me to show you how easily distracted you can be?" he questioned.

"I was no-" She was cut off as his lips came crashing down onto hers. Her eyes widened and she gasped slightly giving him the opportunity to slip his tongue inside her mouth. He was coaxing her mouth with his, begging her to respond. The shock wore off, and she closed her eyes, kissing him back just as passionately.

She felt her world spinning before coming to a complete stop somewhere in a place full of bliss and she vaguely wondered if this was how her friends felt when they finally had their feelings reciprocated. She was brought back from her thoughts when she felt one of Neji's hand fiddling with the buns located on top of her head. She felt her hair become loose and when Neji ran his fingers through her brown locks, she hummed in content, causing him to kiss her much harder.

XxXxXxX

"Yo gu-" Kiba was cut off when Ino's hand clamped down on his mouth.

"Shut up," she hissed lowly, pointing to Neji and Tenten who were still making out hotly. The couple gave no indication that they heard Kiba.

"What now?" Kiba whispered.

"What else dumbass? We leave!" Ino harshly tugged the boy out the dojo. She was not going to ruin what was happening inside especially since it took so long for those two to actually make a move. For goodness sake, they were slower than Sasuke and Sakura!

"So what do we do now?" the boy asked scratching his cheek lightly.

"How bout we go on a date?" Ino suggested.

Kiba perked up slightly. "I know the perfect place," he said, taking her hand and leading her farther away from the dojo.

XxXxXxX

"Hinata, I don't think this looks right," Naruto said, looking down at the thing.

Hinata peeked over Naruto's shoulder and giggled.

"Hinata," Naruto whined. "My onigiri doesn't look like yours." He pouted as he poked the misshapen onigiri.

"It's ok," Hinata consoled, patting the boy on the shoulder.

"Help me," he whined.

She giggled again. "Here," she said, clearing off the space in front of him. "I'll show you."

The quiet girl was getting the ingredients together when she suddenly felt Naruto's presence behind her. She 'eep-ed' when his arms wrapped around her waist with his chin coming to rest on her shoulder.

"You're so adorable when you make that sound," Naruto whispered hotly in her ear, making the girl's face heat up.

"I, uh, t-thought that I w-was gonna s-show you how to make an onigiri," the flustered girl stuttered.

"Well show me," He placed a wet kiss on her neck. Hinata held onto the counter for dear life as she felt him sucking on her pulse point.

"N-naruto."

"Hmmm?" the boy hummed as he nipped her skin.

The two heard the front door open and Naruto jumped two feet away from Hinata, grabbing the ingredients and fiddling with it, making it seem like he was actually attempting to make some kind of food. Hinata, on the other hand, was trying to calm her breathing by bowing her head and working with the ingredients in front her.

The duo lifted their heads when they heard Neji's voice floating into the kitchen, but his words weren't directed at them, causing the two to look at each other confused. Naruto made his way over to the kitchen's exit and hid behind the wall, peeking out to look at Neji. He motioned Hinata over and she quietly leaned over to look at her cousin who was on his cell phone.

Hinata's jaw dropped when she heard Neji chuckling freely and she was shocked when a full blown smile was on his face. "Pick you up at eight tomorrow?" he said to the other person on the line. "Aa, I love you Tenten."

Hinata tried closing her mouth, but every word her cousin said just made her jaw drop more and more. Who knew that the second biggest ice prick would start acting like a love struck idiot? The girl was so busy wrapping her mind around her cousin talking all lovey dovey to Tenten that she didn't notice Naruto steering her back to the counter until Neji entered the room.

"Hiya Neji!" Naruto greeted as he started shaping the rice in front of him into a ball.

Neji looked at the rice is distaste as he saw Naruto shaping and reforming it. His eyes met the blonde's. "Don't do anything inappropriate to Hinata," he stated before grabbing a bottle of water and leaving the room.

"Did he just left me with a warning?" Naruto asked Hinata dumbfounded.

"Uh huh," the girl replied just as shocked. Usually the Hyuuga would check on them every twenty minutes and stay close by in another room.

Naruto giggled gleefully and wrapped his arms around the quiet girl's waist. "Now where were we?" he asked. The boy leaned down and captured Hinata's lips in a kiss. He left her mouth and went back to nipping at the skin on the girl's neck.

Hinata pushed him away roughly when she heard the front door open. She elbowed Naruto when he tried to grab her again. "Quit it," she hissed. "My dad's home," she stated while readjusting her jacket to hide the pink-red marks on her skin. _"Looks like I will be wearing high-collared shirts and turtlenecks for a while,"_ she thought right before her father appeared in the archway.

"Good afternoon Father," Hinata said automatically. As a young girl that phrase was one she had to repeat everyday in a polite and mannerly tone. Now, the words just flowed out of her mouth without her putting much effort into saying it.

"Good afternoon Hiashi-sama," Naruto greeted. The man acknowledged them both and walked down the hallway to his study.

"Aw man," Naruto whined. "Now I really have to behave. Your dad has eyes like everywhere." The blonde pouted, causing Hinata to giggle.

"Let's just make your onigiri look better," the girl giggled, poking the oddly shaped rice.

"Ehehehe, maybe we should," Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

* * *

**So the festival in the story is based off of a real festival held in Japan on the 22nd of October. It's called the Kurama no Hi-Matsuri. I thought it would be nice to incorporate it into the fic. **

**Continuing on from what I wanted to say before. I love and I'm happy that I have people who favorite and follow both me and my story, but my reviews seem to be decreasing in number. I mean it's nice being favorited and followed, but reviews are good like really good. Like hot fudge on top of vanilla ice cream good. So I guess, it just gets to me that I have so many follows and favs but no reviews. And I mean, I am not a person that begs for reviews, but sometimes just saying at least a couple words or dropping maybe a one line review makes my day and keeps me going. **

**I apologize if it seems like I am begging for reviews or anything. And I am terribly sorry for ranting, but I just needed to say that. On another note, I am going into my fourth week of college classes in my second year and the professors already have been mentioning things for finals since the first week off class. And my accounting class is a pain because I feel like I am not learning anything at all as yet.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are very welcomed and much appreciated. Love you guys! **


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